


You're Not Alone (Andy Biersack Love Story)

by BVBfan1996



Series: You're Not Alone (Andy Biersack Love Story Series) [1]
Category: Black Veil Brides
Genre: Black Veil Brides - Freeform, Drama, Multi, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-01
Updated: 2013-10-05
Packaged: 2017-12-28 04:26:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 24,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/987634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BVBfan1996/pseuds/BVBfan1996
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Melanie is what society would label "emo." She never really fit in and was bullied at school and at home. So, what happens when she decides that she has had enough?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1 (Hold On 'Till May)

Melanie was walking through school feeling rejected as usual. She never fit in with the rest of the student body. With her long, glossy, black hair, blue eyes lined thickly with black eyeliner, worn black converse, and the Black Veil Brides bracelet that never parted from her wrist, everyone thought she was some psychotic satanist. But they didn't know what went on at home, maybe then they would've treated her differently. Then again, maybe not.

Melanie entered her first period class silently as "Hold On 'Till May," by Pierce The Veil quietly played in her ears (Yes, I know this song wasn't out yet, since this is set in late 2011, but let's just go with it :P) . She sat down in her seat at the back of the classroom, trying not to be noticed. "Hey emo freak, how 'bout you go cut your wrists!" Maclamore Jameson called.

Maclamore was one of the only people that Melanie never expected to hear that from. He was the cute "emo" boy of the school, hell, he even used to cut before he became popular. Melanie didn't respond as she put her head down on her desk and let silent tears form minuscule puddles by her eyes.

The next thing Melanie knew was that a wad of paper hit her head. She sighed as she uncrumpled the note and read:

Hey slut, go kill yourself! No one likes you! I bet even your parents hate you! You are a stupid, emo, lesbo!

Melanie grabbed her books, leaving the classroom with the teacher calling after her. She didn't care. She didn't want to give everyone the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She hated crying in front of people.

The note was almost completely true. No one liked her, at least no one that she knew about. Her parents hated her. They would yell at her telling her that she was stupid, worthless, and that she was going to hell. Great parents right? Even the lesbian statement was somewhat true. Melanie did find girls attractive, but she also liked boys. The fact that people could hate someone because of their sexual preference irritated the heck out of her.

Melanie took her belongings out of her locker and ran home, which may not have been the best idea, due to the fact that it was pouring.

_At least the rain will hide that fact that I was crying_ , she thought to herself.

Her parents were at work, so when she entered the house it was dead quiet.

_Now's my chance! I can finally get out of here!_ she thought and ran up the wooden stairs to her bedroom.

She hated her bedroom for the most part. The walls were a baby blue colour that she picked out in second grade, and the furniture didn't match. The only part of her room that she enjoyed were the posters of BVB, SWS, PTV, MCR, and ATL that adorned her walls.

She packed her good clothes, makeup, her laptop, money, iPod, and she was ready to leave the place that had kept her trapped for almost 18 years.

"Wait," she said to herself. She looked over at her nightstand and saw her BVB ticket for tonight's concert and the razor next to it. She took both of them and headed out the front door.

She took the keys out of the back pocket of her black skinny jeans. She unlocked the door to her beat-up red truck and shoved her suitcase in the seat next to her. She started driving, to where she wasn't sure.

Melanie thought it was too quiet in the truck so she put in a Black Veil Brides CD and turned the volume up so loud that she couldn't hear herself think. She was fine up until "Saviour" came on. Tears started forming once again. She loved this song because it was the song that saved her from committing suicide four months ago.

She was listening to the song, letting the tears fall freely down her pale face and continued driving for a while. She pulled up to a building that she wasn't supposed to be at for a bit yet and parked. Melanie looked at the clock on her dashboard and it read 3:00. She knew she finished packing at 12:00, but did she really drive for that long?

_Whatever_ , she thought, _I guess I'll just wait outside the venue._

She got out of her truck and locked it. She checked her back pocket to see if she had her ticket. She felt it, but then her fingers grazed up against another object. This other object, however, was cold. It was her razor.

Melanie looked around and didn't see anyone yet. Probably because the show doesn't start 'till six, she thought. She sat down on the cold concrete at the entrance and dragged the razor across her skin, leaving a wet ribbon of red behind it. Tears dripped from her eyes onto her cut, and that only added to the stinging sensation.

"Holy shit! Are you okay?" a deep voice shouted from roughly ten feet away.

  
Melanie looked up into the eyes of a tall, skinny, blue-eyed man with long, wild, black hair, covered head-to-toe in war paint. It took her only a second or two to realize who it was. She was looking at none other than fucking Andy Biersack.


	2. Chapter 2 (Wild Child)

"Are you okay?" Andy repeated, his voice oozing concern.

  
"I....uh....I....um, yeah. I-I'm fine," she stutters. Never in Melanie's whole life did she ever imagine she would ever meet Andy Biersack, especially under these circumstances.

  
"No, you're not. Here, come with me, we'll get you fixed up," he said while grabbing her uninjured wrist, well mostly uninjured, and guiding her into an alleyway.

  
Andy opened a door that lead to the backstage area. After weaving through the hallways in complete silence for about a minute, they get backstage.

  
"Hey Mark, could you find some tape, a wet rag and bandages, my friend here got hurt," Andy said to a built, brown-haired, middle-aged man.

  
"Sure, no problem," he responded.

  
He left and returned not even thirty seconds later.

  
"Here you go," he said giving the tape, rag and bandages to Andy.

  
"Thanks man," Andy said.

  
Melanie just stayed silent the whole time, trying to absorb everything that had happened. But, her thoughts were interupted by Andy cleaning up her arm. Melanie looked at Andy as he gently pressed a wet rag to her wrist.

  
"Why?" escaped Andy's lips.

  
"Why what?" Melanie asked.

  
"Why did you do this to yourself?" Andy asked while looking right into Melanie's eyes.

  
"I-I don't really know. I felt alone, worthless, and ugly. Everyone at my school told me to cut or kill myself. They said no one would miss me if-if I died. I wanted the pain to be lessened for a little bit," Melanie responded with tears gently streaming down her face.

  
"Listen to me," Andy said while wiping away her tears with his thumb, "don't ever let anyone tell you that you aren't loved, cared for, or worth anything. You are a beautiful and strong young woman. Those imbiciles just don't realize it. No matter what happens, know that I care about you."

  
"Thank you," she whispered.

  
Andy hugged her close to him, and Melanie couldn't help but feel something stir in her heart. She had always loved Andy, but not in _that_ way. She pushed the thought away and just let him comfort her.

  
When they finally pulled their bodies away from each other, Andy asked, "I just have to ask out of curiosity, why were you here so early? The show doesn't start for another three hours."

  
"I, um, kinda ran away from home and I didn't know where to go, so I just drove for a while and ended up here," she told him.

  
"You ran away? Why?" he asked genuinly curious.

  
"My parents didn't like me, they told me that I was a faliure constantly, and when I ran out of school today, I decided to leave. Simple as that. I'm turning 18 tomorrow anyway, so by then it won't matter," Melanie explained.

  
"I'm sorry that they treated you that way. Do you have a place to stay?"

  
"I don't actually. I was just planning on sleeping in my truck, since I don't want to go back to school. I'm going to just see what happens."

  
"I wouldn't feel right letting you fend for yourself. You could, um, you could join me and the guys on tour if you wanted. We have an empty bunk on the tour bus," Andy offered. Melanie noticed a bit of colour rise in Andy's cheeks, but she thought it could've been that he was warm. He couldn't like her, right?

  
Melanie knew that Andy had been dating a nice girl named Juliet Simms since Warped Tour, which only ended roughly four months ago. They were still together, weren't they?

  
Then Melanie's brain rewinded back to the part where Andy said she could go on tour with Black Veil Brides. Of course she wanted to, but at the same time, she didn't want to be a burden to her heroes.

  
"Yes! I mean, I wouldn't be a burden on you guys, right?" she blurted out.

  
"No! Of course not! Besides, you seem like the kind of girl that could tell off Ash, and to be honest, he needs to be told to fuck off every once in a while," Andy joked.

  
Melanie smiled her first genuine smile in a very long time. She was going to be touring with the men who saved her life, but she wasn't going to tell them that. At least not yet.  
She hugged Andy tightly and quietly whispered into his ear, "Thank you."

  
"Andy!" a voice called.

  
Melanie let go of Andy to see who it was. It was none other than Ashley Purdy, Jinxx, CC, and Jake Pitts. Melanie was in such a state of shock that she forgot that she had a bloody rag on her wrist.

  
"Whoa! Are you Alright?" Jinxx asked.

  
"Wha-oh, yeah. I'm fine," Melanie said, only just realizing he was talking about her bloody wrist.

  
"I got it," Andy said to Melanie.

  
Andy removed the rag and wrapped the bandages around her wrist and taping it.

  
"What happened?" CC asked.

  
"Nothing important. At least, not anymore," Melanie said, sending Andy a small smile, which he returned.

  
"Oh, by the was guys, Melanie here is going to be joining us n tour, if that's alright with you guys," Andy said.

  
"Depends. How old re you?" Jake asked Melanie.

  
"I'm turning 18 tomorrow," she replied timidly.

  
"Fine by me, how about you guys?" Jake asked the rest of the group.

  
"It's cool with me," CC said.

  
"I'm okay with it," Jinxx replied.

  
"I'm alright with it. Well, as long as she shares a bunk with me," Ashley winked at Melanie.

  
"Not happening Ashley. I'm not that easy," Melanie laughed.

  
Ashley pouted while Andy and everyone else laughed.

  
"Aww! Don't pout Ashley!" Melanie said. She walked up to Ashley and gave him a small kiss on his pouted lip.

  
Ashley quickly turned his frown into a smile. But, Melanie couldn't help but notice that Andy had a look of what seemed like jealousy plastered on his face.

  
"Anyway," Jinxx began, " we came to tell you Andy, that sound check starts in five, well more like two now. So, we need to head on stage."

  
"Alright. Melanie you can hang out back here, alright?" Andy said.

  
"Sure, no problem," she smiled.

  
"See you in a bit sexy!" Ashley flirted.

  
"Can't wait!" Melanie giggled.

  
When the guys walked about ten feet away, Melanie saw Andy hit Ashley on the arm, hard. Melanie couldn't help but laugh at the stupid expression on Ashley's face.

  
Maybe Melanie's life was actually going to be okay now.


	4. Chapter 4 (Lost It All)

Black Veil Brides ran off the stage covered in sweat. Melanie thought the boys did amazing tonight, as did the rest of the fans.

"You guys did fantastic!" Melanie squealed while enveloping Ashley in a bone-crushing hug.

"Ouch! Damn girl, you're strong!" Ashley complained.

"Sorry Ashley!" Melanie apologized.

"As long as you give me a kiss, I'm good," Ashley flirted.

Melanie wrapped her arms around Ash's neck and kissed him right on the mouth, trying her hardest to impress him. She didn't like Ashley in that way, but she might as well show him what she's made of. When she pulled away from Ashley she saw the surprise written all over his face.

"Was that good enough for you Purdy?" Melanie asked, quite pleased with herself.

"Holy shit," CC said.

"I'm going to go get my stuff and get settled in the bus while you're at your meet-and-great, okay?" Melanie asked them.

"That's fine," Andy said. He sounded a bit off.

'Was he jealous?' Melanie thought.

"M'kay, see you guys in a bit," Melanie said.

She left the building and went to look for her truck. After two minutes of searching, she found it. She unlocked the truck and dragged her suitcase out of it. She looked for the bus and found it after ten minutes. She opened the door.

'They seriously left this unlocked? What if instead of being me, I was a crazed fan girl? They would deffinately regret being so careless,' she thought.

She found the unoccupied bunk and put her suitcase next to it. She didn't want to stay on the tour bus until the guys got back, so she decided to go for a little walk.

She ended up in an alley somehow after five minutes of strolling. She knew it wasn't safe, especially in Cleveland, so she turned back around to head back to the bus.

"Hey pretty thing," a tall, lanky man said.

Melanie turned back around to run, but noticed that there was only a dead end.

The tall man cornered her against a brick wall and forced his lips onto hers. His lips tasted like alcohol and vomit.

"Help!" she screamed.

He put his filthy hand over her mouth and whispered, "Don't scream girly. It will only make it worse."

Melanie swallowed hard and nodded. The man stripped her clothes off of her leaving her bare and exposed before his beady, little eyes. He unzipped his pants and pulled them down along with his boxers. He pulled Melanie down to pleasure him. She had tears streaming down her face and began her half an hour of torture.

*******************************************************************************************************************  
When he had finished with her, he left her sore and naked on the cold ground.

Melanie slowly got up and put her clothing back on carefully. She slowly limped back to the tour bus. The boys weren't back yet, good. She didn't want them to see her like this. She felt discusting, filthy, and contaminated. He had taken her virginity. She would never be able to get it back. It would be his forever.

She took out a bra, underwear, and pajamas from her suitcase and headed to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and saw a pale girl with eyes so red that they made her blue eyes shine extra-bright. She took off her clothes to see all of the damage. She had bruises all over her body and a few scrapes. Melanie only then noticed blood coming from somewhere it shouldn't.

Shit.

She jumped into the shower, ready to clense herself of as much as she could. Once she thought she was as clean as she could get, she turned off the water and dried herself off with a towel. She pulled on her underwear and pajamas. She then headed back to her bunk.

She pulled the blanket over her head and closed uncontrollably until she heard voices from outside the bus. She was silent when they got on the bus. They were joking about something, but at the moment Melanie didn't care.

"Melanie, you on the bus?" Jake asked.

Melanie didn't respond, she just closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. She wasn't ready to talk yet, if she tried she would most likely start to cry. She didn't want to cry any more.

"I'll check her bunk," Jinxx said.

Jinxx tugged open the curtain and slid the blanket down to reveal Melanie's "sleeping" face.

"She's asleep," Jinxx told the guys.

"Should we wake her up?" CC asked.

"No, let her sleep," Andy said.

Andy kissed Melanie on the forehead and closed the curtain.

Melanie felt a tingeling sensation where Andy had kissed her. She knew she had fallen for the Andy Biersack, hard. But she also knew that she couldn't be with him. He was a succesfull singer with a beautiful girlfriend, and Melanie was just damaged goods. He could never love her like she loved him.

She fell asleep to a dream where she was completely free from all of the awfull things that had happened to her. All that there was were her and Andy.


	5. Chapter 5 (Roger Rabbit)

Melanie woke up to the guys talking really loudly. She sat up in bed, only to gasp in pain.

  
Then the memories of last night found their way to the front of her thoughts. Tears threatened to spring from her eyes, but she wouldn't let them. She didn't want the guys to know she had been crying.

  
She opened the curtain and slowly got out of bed. She headed to the front of the bus where the guys were sitting and eating breakfast.

  
"Morning guys," Melanie said, her voice cracking from sleep.

  
"Morning Mel. Hey, are you okay?" Jake asked.

  
"Yeah, I'm fine. So, where are we headed to today?"

  
"Detroit, personally I prefer Cleveland," Andy answered, smirking a bit.

  
"Aren't you excited?!" CC asked getting up from his seat and hugging Melanie.

  
Melanie inhaled a sharp breath. She was still incredibly sore from last night, and CC's hugs weren't helping.

  
"You're not alright. What happened?" CC asked, letting go of Melanie.

  
"Nothing! I'm fine!" Melanie objected.

  
"No, you're not, what's up?" Ashley pried.

  
Melanie looked at Ashley and noticed that he looked really irritated. She wanted to tell them, but she didn't at the same time. She wasn't ready to tell them, she was barely able to think about it.

  
"I-I don't want t-to talk about it," Melanie choked out. She slowly walked back to her bunk and closed the so she could cry in peace.

  
But of course, Andy had to open it. He sat down in the bunk beside her and closed the curtain.

  
"Princess, what's wrong. I hate seeing you upset," Andy said while tucking a strand of hair behind Melanie's ear.

"You'd hate me if I told you," Melanie mumbled.

  
"There is nothing you could do that could make me hate you," Andy said, turning Melanie's face to his.

  
"Do you really want to know?" She asked.

  
"Yes, please tell me."

  
"I got my suitcase from my trunk when you guys went to your meet-and-greet and I went to the tour bus, which you left unlocked by the way, and put my suitcase on my bunk. I didn't want to be alone on the bus until you got back, so I decided to go for a short walk. I somehow ended up in an alley, so I turned around to head back to the bus. But, there was a guy and he cornered me against a wall and kissed me. I screamed for help, b-but he told me if I did it again, I-it would only make it w-worse. So, I nodded to show him I un-understood. He took off m-my clothes and he undid h-his pants and put on a condom. He made me g-give him a b-blow job and he took me f-from behind. He did some other things that I d-didn't like, and then he just l-left. I c-came back here and took a sh-shower to try and feel c-clean a-and it didn't work, Andy. He t-took my v-virginity. I still feel d-dirty and contaminated," Melanie whispered through tears.

  
She looked at Andy to see his reaction. He looked speechless.

  
"Princess, I'm so, so sorry that I wasn't there for you," Andy apologized. He brushed away the tears on Melanie's cheeks.

  
"It's okay Andy," Melanie told him.

  
"No, it's not, but I'm here for you if you need anything. Don't be afraid to ask me."

  
"Thanks Andy."

  
"Princess?" Andy asked.

  
"Yeah Batman?"

  
"I think we should tell the guys," Andy suggested.

  
"I know, just not yet," Melanie said.

  
"Alright," Andy whispered, giving her a hug.

  
Melanie gasped in pain again.

  
"Princess, show me," And said as calmly as he could. Melanie could tell that he was insanely pissed off that someone had raped her.

  
She slid out of her pajama bottoms and top. She looked down and noticed that they were worse than last night. There was barely any spot on her body that wasn't bruised or scratched. Andy traced some of the bruises with his fingers. His touch sent electric currents through her body, but she realized that there was almost nothing romantic about this.

  
"We need to tell the guys right now," Andy breathed.  
Melanie nodded. She couldn't hide the bruises from the guys. She slipped back into her pajamas and grabbed Andy's hand. Andy took her back to the front of the bus where the guys still were.

  
"Are you ready to tell us what happened?" Ashley asked.  
Melanie nodded and look to Andy.

  
"Guys, last night while we were at our meet-and-greet, Melanie got raped," Andy told them sadly.

  
"What?!" the guys exclaimed.

  
"Are you okay Melanie?" Jinxx asked.

  
Melanie started tearing up and shook her head.

  
"Show them Princess," Andy encouraged.

  
Melanie slid out of her pajamas. Yet again, the guys gasped. They all got up and gave Melanie a gentle group hug.

  
"We'll always love you, no matter what. Right guys?" Andy said.

  
"Right," they responded.

  
"I love you guys so much," Melanie told them.

  
She really did. Even though she only had _really_ known them for less than a day, they had already became a better family to her than her real family had ever been. She felt extremely lucky to have them help her through anything that may happen to her. This was her home. They were her family.


	6. Chapter 6 (Therapy)

It had been a few days since Melanie had told the guys what had happened. Things were tense. Melanie had started self-harmed again. Jinxx knew, but she didn't think anyone else did. She remembered when Jinxx had found out....  
  
  
*FLASHBACK*

  
All of the guys, besides Jinxx and Ashley, went out for lunch at some pizza place, no shocker there. Ashley didn't want to go with them since he was seriously hungover, and Jinxx didn't want to go because he wanted to Skype Sammi.  
  
Melanie had shut herself in the bedroom a few minutes before the guys left. Melanie unfortunately heard the conversation that Andy was having with Juliet. There were so many "I love you"s being said, that Melanie couldn't take it anymore and she left to the bedroom. None of the guys seemed to notice when she separated herself from them.  
  
Once Melanie was in the bedroom she collapsed on the ground and began to cry. She was going through so much right now, she couldn't take it. Melanie took out the razor she snuck on the bus and started slicing her wrists.  
  
"I'm so worthless, fat, ugly, stupid, broken, contaminated!" she whisper-yelled at herself.  
  
In almost no time at all, she was feeling light-headed. She enjoyed the feeling way more than she should. She knew Andy would be disappointed if he found out that she had started cutting again, but she didn't care. Before she was raped Melanie felt worthless, but she never knew that she could feel _this_ low.  
  
She was crying on the floor with drops of blood hitting the ground, forming a little pool, when Jinxx entered the room to find his laptop.  
  
"Mel! What are you doing?" Jinxx cried.  
  
Melanie knew there was no getting out of this.  
  
"I'm so-sorry Jinxx. I-I just couldn't help it," she sobbed.  
  
Jinxx went over to her and gave her a quick hug before getting the first-aid kit to clean up her wounds. They didn't talk while Jinxx bandaged her up, mostly because Melanie didn't know what to say. After about a few minutes of spacing out, Jinxx broke the silence.  
  
"What on earth made you want to do this?" Jinxx asked softly.  
  
"Two things mostly. The first one being the rape. I just feel like shit because I let him take my virginity. I know I was scared, but I still should've tried to fight..." Melanie trailed off.  
  
"Mel, I know that what happened to you was awful, but don't blame yourself. If you had fought back he could've killed you. About losing your virginity, my thought is, is that if it was forcefully taken from you, then it's not theirs to keep."  
  
"Thanks Jinxx," Melanie said as she pulled him into a hug.  
  
"What was the second thing that caused you to cut?" Jinxx asked.  
  
"Well, um, I love Andy. I know he has a girlfriend that he loves, and I'm just some stupid fan with mental issues. It just really hurts knowing he'll never love me," Melanie sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry. I know it must be hard, but there are other guys out there for you who will treat you like the princess that you are," Jinxx told Melanie.  
  
"Jinxx, I think that I may give up on guys for a while," Melanie said.  
  
"Come on, don't give up on love. You of all people deserve it," he pleaded.  
  
"I never said anything about giving up on love, just guys," she tried to explain.  
  
"You mean you're bisexual?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, was that not obvious?"  
  
"Actually no, but I bet you'll be a heartbreaker," he smiled.  
  
Melanie couldn't help but laugh. She and Jinxx got off of the floor and headed out of the bedroom, only to see Ashley passed out on the couch.  
  
  
*END FLASHBACK*

  
"Guys, let's go out clubbing tonight!" Ashley shouted.  
  
"Fine, just quit shouting, you're hurting my ears," Andy complained.  
  
 _He looks so cute when he complains_ , Melanie thought. _Wait, stop it. You need to get over him. Stop thinking about him._  
  
Melanie sighed. She didn't really want to go clubbing, but she didn't want to stay on the bus either. She decided she would go, but she needed to shower before they headed out.  
After her shower and ten minutes of putting on her makeup, she started to get dressed. She chose her short black dress with spaghetti straps and her high-heeled, red pumps. She covered up her cuts with FIR, BVB, MCR, and SWS bracelets. She wanted to get over Andy, so what better way then to have fun tonight. Maybe she would meet a girl.  
  
She went back into the bathroom to put cover up on her bruises that were still pretty bad, and to tease her hair. She looked in the mirror, and for once, she didn't hate how she looked. Melanie walked out of the bathroom and out of the bus to find the guys waiting for her.  
  
"Whoah," CC said.  
  
"Damn girl, looking sexy!" Ashley smirked.  
  
"You don't look so bad yourself Purdy," Melanie giggled.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Melanie thought she saw Andy looking at her ass, but that was probably just wishful thinking.  
  
"Ready to start clubbing?" Ashley asked.  
  
"Sure, lead the way," Melanie said.  
  
Two hours and eight shots later, Melanie was way past buzzed. She was dancing with random people, and occasionally tripping over her own feet. She made the decision to go back to the bar and sit for a little bit.  
  
"First time getting drunk?" a female voice asked from the bar stool next to Melanie.  
  
"May-maybe," Melanie replied.  
  
"I remember my first time. I woke up in a bush by a playground. I still don't know how I got there. My name's Annabelle by the way. You can call me Annie though. How old are you? You look a little young to be drinking," she said with a smirk and a wink.  
  
Melanie couldn't believe that a chick was actually flirting with her. Especially this girl. Annabelle was a gorgeous brunette with hazel eyes and plump, pink lips. She was wearing a short, red, strapless dress that hugged all of her curves, and a pair of black heels. Melanie was incredibly drunk and probably looked like shit, but this girl was still flirting with her.  
  
"My name's Melanie and I'm 18, but you can call me Mel," Melanie said.  
  
Annabelle smirked and got off of her stool. She grabbed Melanie's hand and lead her to an unoccupied corner of the club. Annabelle gently pushed Melanie against the wall and kissed her.  
  
Melanie was shocked that she was being kissed by some random girl in a club. This was wrong, but it felt so right at the same time. She came to the club to get over Andy, and this was the way to do it. Melanie felt Annabelle's hands roaming over her body. Melanie tangled her fingers in Annabelle's hair and slid her tongue across Annabelle's bottom lip. Annabelle opened her mouth, and soon enough their tongues where wrestling for dominance.  
  
When they broke the kiss for some much-needed air, Melanie breathed out, "How about we continue this somewhere else?"  
  
Annabelle nodded and was lead by her wrist to the Black Veil Brides tour bus. When they got to Melanie's bunk they continued their make-out session, only this time clothes were lost and scattered on the floor.


	7. Chapter 7 (Love Drunk)

Melanie woke up in the morning with an intense headache and someone's arm around her.  
  
She turned over in her bed to see Annie. Everything that happened last night came rushing back to her. She had sex with Annabelle. It was amazing, no doubt about that, but Melanie couldn't help but regret what she did. She only knew this girl's name, and she had sex with her. Then an ever worse thought came to her.  
  
 _Oh fuck, if the guys see her on the bus, what will they think?_ she thought.  
  
Annabelle started stirring in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes. She looked shocked and then realization hit her.  
  
"Morning," she yawned.  
  
Annabelle's hair was wild and tangled, but Melanie couldn't help but think that she looked adorable.  
  
"Morning. Did you sleep well?" Melanie asked.  
  
"Mhmm. Um, do you by any chance know what time it is?" she asked.  
  
Melanie searched her bunk until she found her cell phone underneath a pillow.  
  
"It's 9:30. Why? Is there somewhere you need to be?"  
  
"Crap. Yeah, I have work in an hour. Do you have a shower I could use?"  
  
"Yeah, at the back of the bus. It's the door on the right. Just make sure none of the guys are in there," Melanie told her.  
  
"Guys?" she asked, confused.  
  
"Yeah, from the band. You didn't think I had this awesome bus to myself, did you?" Melanie laughed.  
  
"Well... I was a bit too distracted to think much about it."  
  
Melanie blushed a bit and Annabelle left to use the shower. Melanie got out of bed and searched her suitcase for something to wear. She decided on a pair of red skinny jeans and an old Pierce the Veil tank top.  
  
Melanie shuffled to the front of the bus to make some coffee. She was way too tired to think. When she chugged down a mug, she started thinking about her whole situation. Sure, it would be weird explaining to the guys why she had a female guest on the bus last night, since apparently Jinxx was the only one who knew she was bisexual. On the other hand, there was something about Annie that she really liked, and she needed to move on from Andy.  
  
"Mel?" Jinxx interrupted her thoughts.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Who's in the bathroom? All the guys are asleep and Ashley's girl of the night left after... ya know?" Jinxx asked.  
  
"Um, Annabelle's in the shower," Melanie replied, hoping Jinxx wouldn't push the subject.  
  
"Annabelle? Who's Annabelle?"  
  
"She's.. thegirlIsleptwithlastnight," Melanie mumbled.  
  
"She's what?"  
  
"Annabelle's the girl I slept with last night," Melanie repeated.  
  
Jinxx just looked at her in shock.  
  
"You had sex with someone last night?" he asked slowly.  
  
"Yeah. I got a bit drunk and she was there, and well, one thing led to another. Don't make a big deal out of it okay?"  
  
"Fine, just hope none of the guys find out about this. They'd probably give you shit for behaving like Ashley," Jinxx teased.  
  
"Aghh!" someone shrieked.  
  
Melanie ran to the back of the bus to see what was going on. She saw Andy covering his eyes and coming out of the bathroom.  
  
 _Oh no,_ Melanie thought.  
  
CC and Jake stumbled out of their beds to the back of the bus.  
  
"Dude, what was that?" CC asked while rubbing his eyes.  
  
"I don't know. I walked into the bathroom to take a shower and find some chick in there," Andy explained.  
  
Just then the door of the bathroom opened to reveal a very nervous looking Annabelle.  
  
"Mel, could you walk me out?" Annabelle asked shakily.  
  
"Yeah, come on," Melanie said, grabbing onto Annie's hand and dragging her off of the bus.  
  
"Sorry about that. Andy didn't know you were in there," Melanie apologized.  
  
"It's okay. Well, I got to go. I'll see you soon right?" she asked.  
  
"Actually, no. I'm touring with the guys and the dour won't be done for another month," Melanie said.  
  
"Oh, well, could I at least get your number?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Annabelle gave Melanie her number and Melanie gave Annabelle hers. They gave each other a hug and a peck on the lips before Annabelle went to go find her car in the parking lot to leave for work.  
  
Melanie felt a pang of sadness as Annabelle left. Sure, she had hardly known her, but she made her feel happy and care-free for a little while, which was something Melanie desperately needed. Melanie really hoped that she would get to see her again.  
  
Melanie re-entered the bus to find a very expectant looking Jake, CC, and Andy.  
  
"What?" Melanie asked them.  
  
"Who was that chick?" Jake asked.  
  
"Annabelle," Melanie stated simply.  
  
"And Annabelle is....?" Andy asked with an irritated edge to his voice.  
  
"She's a girl I met at the club last night who I ended up sleeping with," Melanie told Andy.  
  
"Woah," CC said with wide eyes, "When you say slept with, do you mean, like, sexually?"  
  
"Yes. I'm bisexual. I was drunk and found her attractive, so we had sex," Melanie bluntly said.  
  
"Ashley is going to be so pissed that he missed this," Jake laughed.  
  
"Ashley's going to be pissed he missed what?" Ashley asked while trying to tame his hair. He had just come from his bunk and looked like crap.  
  
"Melanie had sex with a chick from the club last night," CC said, eager to see Ashley's reaction.  
  
"What?! Why do I miss all the good stuff!" Ashley whined.  
  
"Come on Ash. It's no big deal," Melanie told him.  
  
"Did you get her number?" Jake wondered.  
  
"Um, yeah. I might call her when we come back to the area so we could meet up," Melanie said with a blush.  
  
"I'm going for a smoke," Andy said as he stormed off of the bus.  
  
"What is up with him?" Melanie asked the guys.  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Jake said.  
  
Everyone shook their heads.  
  
"He likes you!" he exclaimed.  
  
"What makes you say that?" Melanie wearily asked.  
  
"Come on! He looked so pissed off when you and Ash flirted or kissed. He looked way too over protective of you when you told us about 'the incident,' and now he storms off the bus after you get all giddy about being with someone else. Besides, I heard him talking to himself yesterday. He was mumbling about a girl he liked who wasn't Juliet," Jake spewed out.  
  
Andy liked her. He actually liked her. But there saw still one gigantic unavoidable issue. Juliet. He was dating Juliet and he loved her. Melanie would just have to bide her time until Andy finally admitted to her that he liked her. She wouldn't have to wait that long would she?  
  
Why did everything have to be so complicated?


	8. Chapter 8 (Another Bottle Down)

The guys decided they wanted to go to a bar after the show, which Melanie didn't mind. She desperately wanted a drink.  
  
She was seated on one of the bar stools at the far end of the var. She downed shots as she watched women flirting shamelessly with the boys. There was one girl that really caught her attention, though.  
  
She was around twenty-three with silky, long, black hair and a pair of dazzling dark green eyes. She was wearing a simple black dress that showed off her curves and long legs. Her makeup was done in a Black Veil Brides-like way, which Melanie found intriguing.  
  
The one problem was that she was flirting with Andy. Of course, it just had to be Andy. Melanie could feel fire burning in her stomach. The mystery girl apparently saw Melanie staring, so she casually made her way over to Melanie and her shots.  
  
"Hey, so I saw you staring at me and Andy over there. You're not jealous are you?" she asked with a smirk.  
  
"No, considering he already has a girlfriend," Melanie responded.  
  
"Good, because I don't really like him anyway."  
  
"What? Then why were you flirting with him?"  
  
"Seriously?" the mystery girl laughed, "I just wanted to get Ashley jealous. I mean, do you see the number of blond-haired, large-breasted, bimbos are hitting on Ashley? I wouldn't stand a chance with him even if I threw myself at him in nothing but my underwear."  
  
"Oh," was all Melanie could manage to say before she downed another shot.  
  
"Okay, spill. Who's the guy and what's the problem?" the mystery girl asked.  
  
"What makes you think that there's a guy?"  
  
"Well, you're dressed like you're trying to impress someone, but not making it too obvious. Then there's the part where you're downing shots alone in a corner."  
  
"Fine. Yeah, there is a guy," Melanie conceded.  
  
"What's his name?" the mystery girl inquired.  
  
"Promise not to tell anyone?" Melanie asked her.  
  
The mystery girl nodded her head.  
  
"It's Andy. The issue is, is that he has a girlfriend that he's in love with, and I'm just some fan that's bunking with him and the guys. I know he likes me, but he just won't say anything, and it's driving me nuts," she vented.  
  
"Why don't you just tell him how you feel?" she asked.  
  
"I don't want to ruin things with his girlfriend," Melanie sighed.  
  
"If you ask me, things are already ruined between him and his girl if his heart doesn't belong exclusively to her."  
  
"Thanks," Melanie said while digging into her purse to find a pen and a piece of paper. Once she found them, she scrawled out her number, "Here, if you want to talk. I'll let you know the next time we'll be back in town, so I can help you with that Ashley problem of yours."  
  
"Thank you. I've got to head out now, I've got work in the morning," she said as she started to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Melanie shouted.  
  
The mystery girl turned back to Melanie with a grin playing on her lips and a look on her face saying 'go on.'  
  
"I never got your name," Melanie said.  
  
"Kenzi, and yours?"  
  
"Melanie."  
  
"Well, Melanie, it was nice to meet you," Kenzi said as she left the bar.  
  
Melanie sighed and went back to her shots, thinking about the advice that Kenzi had just given her. Should she just tell him?


	9. Chapter 9 (Beautiful Remains)

It's been a whole week since Melanie found out that Andy likes her. Andy has been avoiding her like the plague. The only time that Andy was near her was when they were backstage at his concerts, or when all the guys were with them. Melanie thought the guys noticed it too, and she felt like they had something planned.  
  
Melanie was texting Annabelle on the bus. They had been talking a lot since Annie had left. They would talk to each other about random stuff and they would occasionally flirt.  
  
Melanie's phone buzzed, and she grinned seeing that it was from Annie.  
  
 _Mel, I think I should tell you that since you left, I got a girlfriend. I like you and I think you are beautiful, but I think it would be best for both of us if we just were friends._  
  
Melanie re-read this text five times. Annie just wanted to be friends. She wasn't incredibly happy with this decision of course because she really liked her, but at the same time it would save her from feeling guilty if she ever had the chance to date Andy.  
  
Melanie took a deep breath and texted back.  
  
 _I think it would best if we were just friends too. I hope you and your girl are happy._  
  
Right when she sent the text, she heard people talking outside. It sounded like Andy and Juliet. Juliet came to visit Andy on tour today so they could hang out for a little while. Melanie didn't want to be rude and listen in on their conversation, but she was curious.  
  
She slowly opened a window a bit in order to hear them better.  
  
"Andy, me and you need to have a talk," Juliet said.  
  
"What about?"  
  
"Andy, I feel like we've been drifting apart. I remember how you looked at me when we first started dating. You looked at me with so much love in your eyes. I felt so amazing when you looked at me like that. Now that look is fading. I don't feel like you love me like you used to."  
  
"Dragonfly, of course I love you. You are my world . I don't ever want to lose you. I love you," Andy said, sounding desperate.  
  
"You say that, but I don't believe it. Maybe it's just me, but when you say I love you, it feels like you want to say those words to someone else, but not to me."  
  
"I-I-I, you're right Juliet. I do love someone else, but I still love you," Andy admitted.  
  
"I still love you too, but I'm not the one for you Andy, and you're not the one for me. I think we should break up."  
  
"I think that would probably be the best."  
  
Mel could practically hear his heart break into tiny shards.  
  
"Goodbye Andy," Juliet said. Melanie heard her walking away.  
  
Melanie quickly ran to the couch and flopped down on it. She picked up her phone and pretended to be texting someone when Andy made his way onto the bus.  
  
"Oh hey Mel, I didn't know you were here," Andy said.  
  
"Obviously, because if you did know, you wouldn't have come back to the bus," Melanie snapped at him.  
  
She instantly felt awful for what she said when she saw the look on Andy's face. He looked so pained, like Melanie had just stabbed him in the gut.  
  
"I-I'm sorry. Forget I said anything," Melanie apologized.  
  
"Don't be sorry. I have been avoiding you," Andy said, giving Melanie a sad smile.  
  
"Andy, are you okay? Where's Juliet?" Melanie asked, acting like she didn't know.  
  
"Me and Juliet broke up," Andy mumbled.  
  
Andy swiftly made his way to his bunk and closed the curtains. Melanie heard his light sobbing and it killed her. She took out her razor and went into the bathroom.  
  
Melanie shut the door and leaned over the sink. She looked at herself in the mirror and was absolutely disgusted.  
  
"You're fat," she told herself.  
  
She bent down in front of the toilet and stuck her fingers down her throat. She immediately threw up, not much of course, because she only had an apple today and it was already six in the evening.  
  
She thought about what she did to Andy and it made her sick. She destroyed his relationship and now he was crying.  
  
She took her razor and began making cuts in her arms. They were deep, but not deep enough to hit a vein. She let the blood roll down her arms. She started crying. She wished this would end.  
  
"Mel! Are you okay?" Andy asked from the other side of the bathroom door.  
  
"I'm f-fine," Melanie choked out.  
  
She started to wet rags to clean herself up. She didn't want Andy to see the cuts. She was too busy thinking, she didn't hear the door open.  
  
"Mel...," Andy breathed.  
  
"Andy, I-"  
  
"I thought you stopped," Andy croaked.  
  
Tears started rolling down his cheeks. Melanie was making him cry again.  
  
"I wanted to, but I couldn't."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
She didn't want to tell the truth, because if she told him, he would be even more hurt. But she couldn't lie.  
  
"Because of you," Melanie whispered, looking into his eyes.  
  
"Mel, I'm so so-"  
  
"Andy, it's time for sound check!" Jake called from outside the bus.  
  
"Put on a great performance tonight for me, okay?" Melanie said.  
  
Andy just nodded and shuffled off of the bus, leaving Melanie alone with her thoughts.


	10. Chapter 10 (All My Heart)

Melanie didn't go to the show. She couldn't. She just told Andy that the reason she cut was because of him. Melanie knew his goal with Black Veil Brides was to believe in yourself and to not let anyone put you down. He would have fans every day come up to him and tell him that they saved them from committing suicide or from cutting. Melanie told him the opposite. How was he going to handle this?  
  
Melanie took out her iPod and put the head phones in her ears. 'Carolyn' started playing and she began to sing along. Singing always did make Melanie feel better.  
  
Then Melanie had an idea. If she wasn't going to be going to the concert, she might as well put one on herself. She connected her iPod to the iHome on the bus. She danced around the bus singing along to her favourite songs, probably looking like a maniac. Two hours passed like five minutes to her, because whenever she gets lost in music, she stays lost, or at least until someone interrupts her.  
  
'Face Down' by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus came on and she was jumping around, singing at the top of her lungs when she bumped into something.  
  
She turned around and looked straight into the blue eyes of Andy. She felt her heart pounding against her chest. She didn't know what to say to him.  
  
"Nice voice you got there," Andy grinned.  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Melanie said while she felt herself blushing madly.  
  
"Melanie, we need to talk about what happened earlier," Andy said seriously.  
  
Melanie was about to respond, when the rest of the guys came stumbling into the bus.  
  
"Mel, Andy, we're going to play truth or dare, you guys want to join?" CC asked.  
  
"Sure, I guess," Melanie said. She didn't quite understand why a group of grown men would want to play truth or dare.  
  
Everyone took a seat on the couches. Melanie, of course, was stuck between Andy and Ashley.  
  
"Alright, Ashley truth or dare?" Jake asked.  
  
"Dare, duh!"  
  
"Okay, um, I dare you to do the saltine challenge," Jake said.  
  
"Really dude? That's the best you got?" Ashley complained.  
  
"Sorry, I'm not really good with dares."  
  
Ashley got the saltines and stuffed his face. He started choking, so a new rule was set: no food challenges.  
  
"Truth or Dare," Ashley asked Melanie.  
  
"Um, Dare?"  
  
"Mel," Ashley smirked, "I dare you to make out with me for two minutes. With tongue."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Ugh, fine," Melanie huffed.  
  
Melanie pivoted herself so she was on Ashley's lap and crashed her lips into his. Ashley slipped his tongue into Melanie's mouth and their tongues explored each other's mouth. Melanie wasn't really enjoying the experience, but it wasn't completely dreadful. Ashley was a good kisser, but it felt to her like she was making out with her bother, if she had one.  
  
"Alright, time's up!" Jinxx said.  
  
 _Thank God,_ Melanie thought.  
  
Melanie squeezed back into her seat and looked at Andy. He looked like he wanted to punch a wall.  
  
"Um, truth or dare?" Melanie asked.  
  
"Truth."  
  
"Do you have a crush on anyone, and what's their name?"  
  
"I don't have a crush on anyone," he replied with no emotion.  
  
Melanie's stomach dropped. The whole room was silent.  
  
"I'm going to go out for some air," Melanie said to the guys.  
  
She walked out of the bus and sat up against one of the tires. She wanted to cry so badly. He told Juliet that there was someone else and then her lies straight to her face. What the hell was wrong with him?  
  
"Hey," a deep voice said.  
  
Melanie looked up and immediately wished she hadn't.  
  
"What do you want Andy?"  
  
"We never got to talk about earlier."  
  
"What's there to talk about?" Melanie asked as Andy sunk down next to her.  
  
"You told me that I was the reason you cut yourself. What did I do?" his voice cracked.  
  
Andy looked like a wounded puppy. Melanie really didn't want to answer this question. If she told him and he turned her down, everything would be ruined. But, she hated to see him hurt. Melanie remembered the night at the bar where Kenzi had told her that she should just tell him.  
  
"I love you Andy," Melanie whispered. She was expecting Andy to tell her that he didn't like her and that she should leave.  
  
"Melanie, I love you too," Andy said.  
  
"What?" she asked as she turned to look at him.  
  
"I love you, with all my heart."  
  
Melanie looked into his eyes and felt her heart melt. Andy cupped her face in his hands and slowly brought her lips to his. Their lips moved in sync and his lip ring on her lips sent shivers down her spine. Andy tasted of cigarettes and whiskey. Andy licked Melanie's bottom lip, begging for entrance. Melanie teased him and kept her lips close together. Andy wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered them slowly until they reached her ass. He squeezed her ass causing Melanie to gasp and Andy slid his tongue into her mouth. After another minute or so, Melanie slowly pulled away breathing heavily.  
  
"Wow," she breathed out.  
  
"Melanie, you have no idea for how long I've wanted to do that," Andy smiled.  
  
"Same here. The guys are going to be so happy to know that we're going out."  
  
"Let's not tell anyone yet. I want this to be our little secret. I love you."  
  
"I love you too," Melanie grinned.  
  
No matter how many times he said it, she still couldn't believe it. Andy loved her.


	11. Chapter 11 (A Match Into Water)

Melanie and Andy were relaxing on the bus.. It was an off day and the other guys decided to go out. They still didn't know about Melanie and Andy, since they had only just kissed last night. Melanie and Andy decided to stay in, and of course that meant snuggling on the couch watching Batman movies.

  
The 1966 Batman movie had just ended. It was the first Batman movie Melanie had ever seen, therefore it was her favourite, even though she was aware that it was also probably the campiest movie she's ever seen. Since the movie had ended, Melanie and Andy were enjoying the rare silence on the bus.

  
"Melanie?" Andy asked.

  
"Mhmm?"

  
"Can I take you somewhere?"

  
"Where?" she asked becoming curious.

  
"It's a surprise," he replied.

  
"I suppose, but I'd have to get dressed."

  
"I'll wait for you outside," he said as he pecked Melanie on the lips.

  
Melanie got off of the couch and rummaged through her suitcase until she found an outfit. She went to the bathroom and changed into a pair of jean shorts and a My Chemical Romance tshirt. Melanie slipped on a pair of black flip-flops and skipped off the bus.

  
"Ready to go?" Andy asked.

  
"Yep."

  
Andy took her hand in his and they started walking into town. Melanie smiled at the gesture. Her hand fit perfectly in his and it felt right. But she didn't get to enjoy it for too long, because after five minutes Andy stopped walking and let go of her hand.

  
"Here we are," Andy said.

  
"Where-," Melanie started to ask, but then she noticed the tattoo parlor that they were standing in front of.

  
"What are we doing here?" Melanie asked.

  
"Well, I wanted to get another tattoo, and I thought that maybe you'd want to get one too."

  
"Hell yes, I want a tattoo!" Melanie exclaimed while jumping up and down, causing Andy to laugh. She took Andy by the wrist and dragged him into the tattoo parlor.  
The tattoo parlor was huge. The walls were painted red and black with tattoo designs covering almost every inch.

"Hello, can I help you?" A girl around Melanie's age asked them. Her eyes widened a bit when she looked at Andy.  
She had long black and blue hair with bright blue eyes. Melanie noticed the snakebites and the tattoo on her wrist that said 'keep your head high and your middle finger higher.' She was wearing a pair of converse, black skinnies, and a Black Veil Brides tank top. Melanie didn't recognize this girl, but she felt in her stomach that she knew her from somewhere.

  
"Um, we'd like to get some tattoos," Melanie told the girl.

  
"Alright, um, can I see some ID?"

  
Melanie and Andy showed her their drivers licenses. The girl looked at the dates of birth and pictures, then nodded in approval.

  
"Mikey!" the girl called to the back of the parlor.

  
A man in his late twenties came from the back. He had short black hair, sleeves, and a septum piercing.

  
"Yeah?" he asked the girl.

  
"These two want tattoos. Could you take Andy?" she asked him.

  
"Sure. Come on," Mikey said, waving for Andy to come with him. Mikey left with Andy to a seperate room, leaving Melanie with the girl.

  
"Come with me," the girl said as she lead Melanie to a back room. She motioned for Melanie to sit.

  
Melanie sat in the chair, which reminded her of the ones she saw at the dentists.

  
"So, you're hanging out with Andy from Black Veil Brides, that's pretty cool," the girl said.

  
"Yeah, it is. All of the guys are fun to be around."

  
"Sorry, I didn't catch your name."

  
"Oh, it's Melanie, Melanie Greer, but most people just call me Mel."

  
The girl looked at Melanie as if she sprouted extra heads.

  
"Are you by any chance form Cleveland?" she asked.

  
"Yeah......" Melanie said.

  
"Sorry, you probably don't remember me, at least not as I look now. I'm Skylar."

  
"Sky? Wow, you've changed," Melanie laughed.

  
"Yeah, so have you. Last time I saw you was in sixth grade, and you would wear skirts everyday and sing along to Brittany Spears."

  
"It's good to see you again. After you left I didn't have any friends. Things also got a bit rough at home."

  
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to leave. Anyway, what do you want to get as a tattoo?"

  
"Um, I want three actually."

  
"Three? Are you sure? That's a lot to get in one day, it'll be really painful."

  
"Yeah, I'm sure," Melanie replied.

  
"Alright, so what do you want?"

  
"I want 'Never Give In, Never Back Down' wrapping around my left wrist, 'So hear my voice, remind you not to bleed' wrapping around my right wrist, and one on my lower back that's a music note with 'Andy' written next to it."

  
"Andy? Are you two a thing?" she asked.

  
"Um kinda, but it's sort of a secret, so please don't tell anyone," Melanie begged.

  
"Who am I going ot tell?" she laughed, "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

  
"Thank you."

  
"So are you ready to get this started?" Skylar asked.

"Yeah," Melanie sighed, collecting her nerves.

  
After what seemed to Melanie like days, her tattoos were finished. The places where she got tattoos hurt like hell. Next time Skylar advised her to not to do something, she was going to listen.

  
"How are you feeling?" Skylar asked.

  
"Like hell, I love my tattoos though," Melanie replied as they headed back out to the waiting area.

  
Andy was reclined in one of the chairs with his eyes closed while listening to his iPod. He was so distracted by his music that when Melanie stood right in front of him, clearing her throat, he didn't open his eyes. Melanie found it somewhat amusing. She grabbed his headphones and yanked them out of his ears.

  
"What the-?!" he yelled.

  
Melanie saw him look at her with a startled look. She just laughed and handed his headphones back to him. Skylar just stood there quietly laughing to herself.

  
"So, um, where do we pay?" Andy asked.

  
"I'll take you guys at the cash register," Skylar said.

  
Andy ended up paying for the tattoos even though Melanie kept on insisting she could pay for herself.

  
"So, are you coming to the show tomorrow?" Andy asked Skylar.

  
"No, unfortunately. The tickets got sold out before I could gather up enough money to pay for them," she replied.

  
"Andy, could you get her a backstage pass or something?" Melanie asked.

  
"I suppose I could, but, um, did I miss something here?' Andy asked looking back and forth between Skylar and Melanie.

  
"Oh, yeah. Skylar and I were best friends back in sixth grade," Melanie explained.

  
"Oh, alright. I'll see what I can do."

  
Melanie and Skylar swapped phone numbers before saying goodbye. As Melanie turned to leave with Andy, she thought she saw scars on Skylar's arms. But she could just be imagining things, right? Melanie hoped with all her heart that Skylar was okay. Even though she hadn't seen her in years, she was the only friend she ever had, and she didn't want to lose her.


	12. Chapter 12 (Hot In The City)

Melanie and Andy had arrived back at the bus. The guys were already there, and when Melanie and Andy stepped onto the bus, the guys looked at them with wide eyes.  
  
"Well, where have you two lovebirds been?" Ashley asked.  
  
"We're not lovebirds! We just went and got tattoos," Melanie blushed.  
  
"You got tattoos?" Jake asked.  
  
Melanie nodded her head. She hadn't even shown Andy her tattoos yet, and Andy hadn't shown Melanie his tattoo either. It wasn't on his arms, or any other visible part of his body, which made her curious as to where it could be.  
  
"You guys going to show us your tattoos?" CC asked them.  
  
"I, uh, kinda can't since I was told to keep them bandaged," Melanie replied.  
  
"Oh yeah...," CC mumbled.  
  
"Can you at least tell us what you got?" Jake prodded.  
  
"Nope, you're going to have to wait until the bandages come off tomorrow," Melanie chuckled.  
  
Then, for some odd reason, Melanie's mind wandered off to Skylar. Sure, she had talked to her a bit at the tattoo parlor, but she didn't get to hang out. Melanie loved hanging out with the guys, but she really wanted to spend some time with someone that wasn't, well, a guy.  
Melanie whipped out her phone while the guys started talking about some random things. She scrolled through her contacts until she found Skylar's name. She pressed the call button and anxiously waited.  
  
"Hello?" Skylar asked.  
  
"Hey Sky, it's Melanie. Do want to hang out on the tour bus today?" Melanie questioned nervously.  
  
"Hell yeah. I'm getting off of work in about thirty minutes, so if you tell me where you guys are, I'll be there in an hour."  
  
Melanie told her their location and said goodbye. Melanie was jittery for the next forty-five minutes.  
  
"Why are you so fidgety?" Jinxx asked after watching Melanie rapidly tapping her thumb against her outer-thigh.  
  
"Oh. I sorta invited my friend Skylar to come hang out here. She should be here any minute now."  
  
And, as if on cue, there was a knocking on the bus door.  
  
Ashley hopped off of the couch to open the door. Melanie noticed Ashley's reaction to Skylar, and she found it entertaining. His mouth dropped open a bit and his eyes scanned over her body.  
  
"Um, hey is Melanie here?" Skylar asked him.  
  
Ashley stared at her and slowly nodded his head, and Melanie got out of her seat and went over to Skylar.  
  
"Hey Sky, come on in. Sorry about the mess."  
  
The guys that were on the bus migrated outside, most likely assuming that Melanie would want to spend some girl time with Skylar.  
  
"Whoa," Skylar gasped as she took in the bus.  
  
"Cool, right?"  
  
"Yeah. So, um, where do you sleep?" she asked.  
  
"Over here," Melanie said, pointing to a bottom bunk at the back of the bus. The bunk just so happened to be right across from Andy's.  
  
"Sweet. So, we should probably do some catching up, huh?" Skylar suggested.  
  
Melanie nodded. She wasn't to keen on having to tell her story to Skylar. She had a hard enough time telling the guys her story, but for some reason telling Skylar seemed much scarier.  
  
"So, you said it got rough after I left. What happened?" Skylar asked.  
  
"My parents started getting tougher on me. I didn't live up to their expectations and they weren't afraid to remind me of that every time they could. I got picked on at school, and somewhere along the way I ended up turning to cutting. I absolutely hated myself and I felt like no one would give a damn if I killed myself. I almost committed suicide, but I didn't. But, um, yeah, that's basically it. What about you?"  
  
"My dad moved us to some small town in southern Ohio. I decided I wanted to be a tattoo artist when I was 16. Once I turned 18, six months ago, I moved into an apartment and got my job at the tattoo parlor."  
  
Melanie felt like there was something Skylar wasn't telling her, but she didn't bring it up. If Skylar wasn't ready to tell her, she was willing to wait. But, by the same token, Melanie didn't tell Skylar why she was on tour with the guys or that she had been raped.  
  
"Mel, can I ask you something?" Skylar asked.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Do you think Ashley may like me?"  
  
"Duh. Did you not see him checking you out?" Melanie laughed and noticed that Skylar had smiled a bit, "Why, do you like him?"  
  
"Uh, yeah," Skylar whispered.  
  
"You should go after him. He likes you, you like him," Melanie encouraged her.  
  
"Melanie was so grateful to be able to have a normal conversation with Skylar. She had never had the chance to talk to someone about normal people things since Skylar left. The thing that Melanie really enjoyed was how they could talk to each other about anything and everything.  
  
"Melanie?" Andy asked.  
  
Skylar and Melanie had been talking non-stop for two hours about random things. They had been in a discussion about My Chemical Romance's 'Danger Days' album when Andy interrupted them.  
  
"The guys want to go out clubbing, and I said I'd tag along. Do you to want to come with us?"  
Melanie looked to Skylar, who just shrugged.  
  
"Sure, I suppose. When are we heading out?"  
  
"In about 30 minutes."  
  
"Alright. Well, you're going to have to exit the bus, because Skylar and I need to get ready."  
  
"Don't take too long," Andy said as he left.  
  
"Okay, time to get beautified," Melanie said to Skylar.  
  
"I don't have anything to wear," she sighed.  
  
"You're about the same size as me, so I could let you borrow something."  
  
"No dresses!" Skylar told Melanie.  
  
"Fine, no dresses."  
  
Melanie looked through her suitcase and handed Skylar a pair of tight, black, leather pants and a neon green tank top.  
  
"Does this work for you?" Melanie asked.  
  
"Yeah, thanks," she said while slipping into the leather pants.  
  
Melanie slid on her short, sleeveless black dress with black lacing along the bottom. She put on her black strapped heels, then went to the bathroom to put on some eyeliner and mascara.  
  
"Holy crap! You look good!" Melanie said to Skylar.  
  
"Thanks, you too. Are you looking to impress Andy tonight?"  
  
Melanie blushed, "Come on, let's go. The guys are waiting for us."  
  
Skylar and Melanie made their way off of the bus. Melanie noticed immediately that Ashley was checking Skylar out.  
  
The group made their way to a local club, and once they got inside everyone separated from each other. Jake and Jinxx headed off to the bar while CC went off in some random direction, and Ashley took Skylar to the dance floor.  
  
"You look absolutely stunning," Andy whispered in Melanie's ear. She felt goose bumps start to form on her body as he wrapped his arm around her waist.  
  
"So do you. Do you want to dance?" Melanie asked him.  
  
"I don't dance," he said as he wrinkled his nose.  
  
"Come on! Please!" Melanie pouted.  
  
Andy laughed and lead Melanie to the dance floor. 'Good Girls Bad Guys' by Falling In Reverse started to play and Melanie smirked as she started dancing up against Andy. She felt his breath on her neck and his hands gripping her hips. At the moment she didn't care if the guys saw her and Andy together. She was having way too much fun to worry about what anyone else would think, and she was fairly certain Andy felt the same way.


	13. Chapter 13 (Carolyn)

Melanie woke up in the morning in a comfortable, warm bed. She remembered last night and smiled. Her and Andy had spent the whole night dancing and, well, making out. She didn't think the guys noticed, since when she checked on them they were all drunk out of their minds. Well, except for Ashley and Skylar, she didn't know where they wandered off to.  
  
Melanie turned in the bed and opened her eyes, only to see a sleeping Andy. She loved the way Andy looked when he slept. His hair was sticking up at odd ends and the innocent expression on his face, god, it made her heart flutter. Melanie snuggled into his chest and took in his scent of sweat, smoke, and Axe. Andy started to stir in his sleep and Melanie kissed him on the forehead.  
  
"Morning," she whispered.  
  
"Morning," Andy murmured, his voice more gravely than usual.  
  
"Can you explain to me why I'm in your bed?" she asked.  
  
"You fell asleep on the couch, and I know from experience your body would've hurt like hell when you woke up. Besides, I wanted a cuddle buddy."  
  
"Andy?"  
  
"Yeah?" he replied while rubbing his eyes with his fists.  
  
"I was wondering if you could show me what tattoo you got yesterday."  
  
"Only if you show me yours first."  
  
"God, you're such a baby sometimes," Melanie laughed.  
  
Andy pouted at Melanie, looking like a child who was just refused candy.  
  
"Fine! I'll show you my tattoos!"  
  
Melanie carefully took off the bandages that were on her left wrist, showing the tattoo that said 'Never Give In, Never Back Down.'  
  
"Good choice," Andy smiled. Melanie was aware of how Andy thought it was cool when people got Black Veil Brides tattoos.  
  
Melanie undid the bandages on her right wrist to reveal her tattoo that read 'So hear my voice, remind you not to bleed.' Melanie looked up to see a teary-eyed Andy. She absolutely hated it when he cried. A single tear fell from his right eye, which he swiftly wiped away with his thumb.  
  
"I got it so if you ever weren't there, I'd have this to remind me that you care about me."  
  
"Melanie, I don't just care about you. I love you," Andy said with so much sincerity.  
  
"I love you too, which is why I got one last tattoo," Melanie said as she lifted up her pajama top and removed the bandage on her lower back.  
  
Andy gently traced the music note with his name with his fingers in a similar way to how he did when she showed him her bruises.  
  
"I love it," Andy said, giving Melanie a soft peck on the lips.  
  
"Time to show me yours," Melanie smiled.  
  
Andy slipped off his black t-shirt and removed the bandages from his lower back, exposing a black and white Batman symbol with Melanie's name underneath.  
  
"Andy..." Melanie gasped.  
  
Andy held her face in his hands and kissed her lips. The kiss was passionate and slow at the same time, but then Andy trailed his lips down to Melanie's jawline, causing her to let out a not-so-quiet moan.  
  
"Don't you think the guys will hear us?" Melanie asked him.  
  
"Yeah," he muttered against her jaw.  
  
"We can take this outside you know," Melanie said, "but you'd have to get dressed."  
  
"Fine," Andy grumbled.  
  
Melanie slid out of the bunk and grabbed some clothes from her suitcase. She started to head to the bathroom in order to change. Once she was in the bathroom, she stripped down and took a short shower, but still long enough to let the hot water massage her muscles. Melanie dried of and slipped on a pair of red and black, zebra-printed skinny jeans and a black tank top. She quickly applied eyeliner and mascara and walked out of the bathroom to see a fully-dressed Andy.  
  
"Why'd you put on makeup?" he asked.  
  
"I dunno, I just don't like how I look without it."  
  
Andy closed the five-foot distance between them and lifted her face up with his index finger.  
  
"You don't need makeup, you look perfect without it."  
  
Melanie stared into his eyes and found it hard to breathe for a second. She took Andy's hand and walked outside. They were in another parking lot, so Andy guided Melanie to a brick wall of a building. He backed her up against the wall and stared into Melanie's blue eyes before crashing their lips together. The kiss was passionate and hungry, _really_ hungry, but after a few seconds Melanie froze.  
  
"Babe, what's wrong?" Andy asked.  
  
The only thing that was registering in Melanie's head was that she was up against a brick wall and that a tall, lanky man kissed her. She didn't take in the fact that it was daytime, or that it was Andy, or that he tasted of cigarettes and whiskey, not puke and alcohol.  
  
"Please! Don't hurt me!" Melanie whimpered.  
  
She dropped down to the ground and started shaking. Andy dropped down in front of Melanie and held her face in his hands.  
  
"Melanie, look at me," he said, worry coating his voice.  
  
Melanie slowly looked up, still shaking with whimpers escaping her lips. Her eyes went from his pink lips up to his blue eyes with tears threatening to spill.  
  
" _Those times in life we learn to try, with one intention  
Of learning how and when we'll die, but we can't listen  
I wish to god I'd known that I, I didn't stand a chance  
Of looking back and knowing why, or pain of circumstance  
  
You're not alone  
We'll brave this storm_," Andy sang, his voice cracking every so often.  
  
" _So here's my song I wrote in time, when it was needed_  
Through pain of heart or loss of mind, your burdens lifted  
You aren't alone just know that I, can't save our hearts tonight  
  
You're not alone  
We'll brave this storm  
And face today  
You're not alone  
  
You're not alone  
We'll brave this storm  
And face today  
You're not alone," Andy finished.  
  
By now Melanie had finally calmed down. She wasn't going to be raped. Andy wasn't the man who raped her. She immediately felt awful, she had scared the crap out of Andy. She probably looked nuts, hell, she probably was. Tears started to form, and soon enough she was crying into her hands.  
  
"Princess," Andy breathed as he wrapped his arms around her, "are you okay?"  
  
"I-I'm so sorry!" she sobbed.  
  
"Princess, why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong," he whispered while gently rubbing her back.  
  
"I-I thought you were him. I t-thought you were going to r-rape me. I'm s-sorry," Melanie stuttered.  
  
"You don't have to be sorry. You went through a traumatic experience. I'm just glad you're okay."  
  
"I think I'm going crazy. I'm scared Andy," Melanie murmured.  
  
"You aren't crazy. No matter what happens, I will be here for you. I won't let that poor excuse for a man come near you, and if I find him, I'll beat the crap out of him."  
  
"I love you Andy," Melanie whispered.  
  
"I love you too. Come on, let's get back on the bus, okay?"  
  
Melanie nodded and slowly got off of the ground. Once Andy got up as well, they made their way towards the bus.  
  
Melanie hoped that she wouldn't run into the guys. She didn't want to have to explain why she looked like crap. She had dealt with so many people throughout her life saying she was crazy. She didn't want her friends to think that too.


	14. Chapter 14 (Oh Love)

Melanie and Andy stepped onto the bus, and Melanie was relieved that all of the guys were still asleep. She quickly rushed to the bathroom, jumping over random crap that littered the floors. She grabbed a towel and soaked it, then used it to wipe off her smeared makeup. She studied herself in the mirror, and when she thought the guys wouldn't be able to tell she had cried, she exited the bathroom.  
  
She noticed that there were some clothes on the floor, the clothes she gave to Skylar to wear last night. She grinned. She was going to have to talk to Skylar later. Melanie saw Andy on the couch playing with his phone. When Melanie sat down next to him, Andy looked up and gave Melanie a sad smile.  
  
"Andy, I'm really sorry about what I put you through earlier. I'd understand if you'd want to just be friends. I don't want to have to worry about having another meltdown every time we kiss."  
  
Melanie looked down at her hands. She loved Andy, god did she love him, but she felt so guilty about being a burden to Andy. She was feeling an intense urge to cut. Andy wouldn't have to know is she excused herself to the restroom.  
  
"Mel, stop it! Calm down!" Andy exclaimed as he pulled Melanie into a hug.  
  
Melanie hadn't even realized that she had been scratching her arms. Now blood was slowly oozing from her cuts form a few days ago. She cried into Andy's chest, letting out all of her guilt, frustration, and sadness. Her crying, of course, was loud enough to wake the guys from their sleep, and within a couple minutes they were getting out of their bunks.  
  
"Andy, what's going on?" Jinxx asked.  
  
"Nothing to worry about. I'll handle this, you guys get dressed and go out to eat okay?" Andy told them.  
  
All of the guys looked at Andy suspiciously, but left to get their clothes on. Skylar, however, stood there looking at Melanie with sympathy.  
  
"Andy, can I talk to Melanie alone?" Skylar asked.  
  
Andy looked at Skylar skeptically, but then glanced back down to a weeping Melanie. He nodded and slowly unwrapped his arms from around her. Melanie continued to sob as Andy got up from the couch. Skylar took his place and tucked lose strands of hair behind Melanie's ear.  
  
"Melanie, what happened. You know you can tell me," Skylar said, her voice not much louder than a whisper.  
  
Melanie calmed herself down enough to say, "Sky, something horrible happened to me that I didn't tell you."  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
Melanie took a deep breath and said, "I got raped, Sky."  
  
"Mel, I'm sorry. Is that why you did this to yourself?" she asked pointing to Melanie's wrists.  
  
"Sort of. Andy and I were making-out outside. I was backed up against a brick wall, like when I was raped and I started to freak out. I don't know exactly why, but for a little while I thought Andy was the man who raped me. He calmed me down by singing tom and then when we got back on the bus I told him I'd understand if he wanted to break up. Then I got a huge urge to cut and I-I-I," Melanie broke down in tears again and gripped onto Skylar's forearms.  
  
Skylar hissed in pain, causing Melanie to look up. Melanie turned over Skylar's wrists seeing dozens of scars.  
  
"Skylar, why?"  
  
"My d-dad and the bullying. I didn't know what else to do. I understand you Mel, I really do," Skylar said with her voice cracking.  
  
"Skylar, promise me you'll stop? Let's make a promise right now, that both of us will stop. We'll be each other's support, and when one of us feels like cutting, we talk. Deal?" Melanie said, grabbing onto Skylar's hands.  
  
"Deal," she replied.  
  
"So, what happened last night with you and Ashley?" Melanie asked, trying desperately to move onto a lighter topic.  
  
"We, um, ya know..." Skylar mumbled.  
  
"Oh. My. God. You did it?" Melanie asked.  
  
"Yeah," she said with her cheeks turning bright red.  
  
"I'm so happy for you! Well, as long as you don't get pregnant, because I'm to young to be an aunt. Are you guys official yet?"  
  
"Not yet, we haven't really had a chance to talk about it. I want us to be, but he tours and I work at the tattoo parlor."  
  
"Sky, I want you to come on tour with us."  
  
Skylar stared at Melanie in shock, with her mouth hanging wide-open.  
  
"Are you being serious? You're not pulling my leg or anything?"  
  
"I'm being one million percent serious. I'm sure Ashley would love you and honestly, I need you here as my support. So will you come on tour with us?" Melanie asked.  
  
"I'd love to, but I'd have to quit my job first. Give me a few minutes, okay?" Skylar said as she rose from the couch.  
  
Melanie nodded with a huge grin spread across her face. Skylar left the bus while dialing a number on her phone.  
  
As happy as Melanie was that her best friend was joining the tour, she couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty. Again with the guilt. She had just made her friend give up her job. But for what? To hang out with Melanie to make sure she didn't go off of the deep end? Melanie was being selfish and it was making her feel nauseous.  
  
Nauseous....  
  
She sprinted off the bus to behind some random car in the parking lot. She fell to the ground and stuffed her fingers down her throat. She immediately threw up all over the pavement.  
  
"At least I'm not cutting," she muttered to herself.  
  
She hauled herself up from the ground and shuffled back to the bus. The guys were all sitting on the couch along with Skylar. All eyes turned to her as she walked on.  
  
"Where've you been?" Skylar asked.  
  
"I just went out to get a little air. Are you guys ready to go out for lunch?" Melanie asked.  
  
"Uh, yeah. Let's go," Andy said.  
  
Everyone filed off the bus and walked to some local diner call Georgie's They entered the diner and were greeted by a short, chubby, brown-haired lady. She was wearing a pink flower-printed dress and a pair of gold sandals. She seemed nice enough, but Melanie saw through her façade. This woman hated her and she knew it.  
  
They were all lead to a large booth were their drink orders were taken. Melanie was squished in between Skylar and Andy, which she was relieved about. The short woman returned ten minutes later and asked for orders. The guys all ordered burgers, while Skylar and Melanie were the only one who ordered salads.  
  
Melanie was stirring the ice cubes in her water with her straw when she felt Andy's hand being placed on her knee. She looked up at him and he could probably tell that she was obviously confused. He just smiled at Melanie and mouthed 'I love you.'  
  
He didn't hate her, thank god. After the incident earlier, he still loved her. He was simply perfect.  
  
Melanie smiled back and mouthed 'I love you too.' She quickly glanced to Skylar and remembered she hadn't told the guys that Skylar was joining the tour. Melanie mentally smacked herself in the face.  
  
"Guys, I forgot to tell you that Sky's joining us on tour," Melanie said, loud enough for the guys to stop their conversation and stare at her.  
  
"Where's she going to sleep?" Ashley asked.  
  
"Well, I assumed she would sleep with you. You weren't going to have your girlfriend sleep on the couch, would you?"  
  
Ashley blushed a bit and the guys all gave him weird looks, but that didn't last long because the waitress had returned with their food. The woman placed the burgers down in front of the guys. But, when the woman went to set down Melanie's salad, she tipped the plate, causing lettuce, tomatoes, and salad dressing to fall into Melanie's lap.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry!" the waitress said in a falsely apologetic voice.  
  
"It's okay. Sky, can you move? I need to use the restroom."  
  
Skylar looked at Melanie with a worried look, but she still scooted out of the booth.  
  
Melanie sprinted to the bathroom that was located at the back of the diner, but she collapsed on the floor in front of the bathroom door and started to cry silently. Why did bad things always happen to her?  
  
Melanie felt a light tap on her shoulder and she looked up. Andy was looking at her with sad eyes.  
  
"Princess, are you alright?" he asked.  
  
"She did that on purpose, Andy," Melanie choked out.  
  
"I know, but don't cry okay? You shouldn't shed a single tear for her," he said as he got on his knees in front of Melanie.  
  
Melanie nodded. Andy always knew the right words to say to her. Andy leaned in and planted a small kiss on her lips. When he backed away, Melanie pulled his face to hers. She didn't know what was taking over her, but she didn't really care. All she cared about were her lips on his.  
  
Andy slowly started getting up on his feet with Melanie getting up as well. Andy was turned by Melanie so that his back was up against the restroom door. Melanie wrapped her arms around his neck as he rested his hands upon her hips. Andy slid his tongue against Melanie's bottom lip, asking for entrance. Melanie gladly opened her mouth, and Andy's tongue quickly dominated hers.  
  
When they finally separated for a moment to take in some air, they looked into each other's eyes.  
  
"WHAT THE FUCK?!?!"


	15. Chapter 15 (Dirty Little Secret)

Andy and Melanie jump at the sudden outburst. They turn in the direction which the voice came from to see and infuriated Jinxx.  
  
"What the hell is going on here?" he yelled.  
  
"Jinxx, we were just-."  
  
"Melanie, I saw you sucking faces with him. But what I want to know is how long I've been left out of the loop!" Jinxx spat.  
  
"Two days. Jinxx, we were going to tell you at some point, but we didn't want people to know yet," Melanie said, trying to calm him down.  
  
"You still could've told me. You told me everything the day I saw you cutting, when you couldn't tell anyone else, and now you can't even trust me with this?" Jinxx's voice cracked.  
  
"Jinxx, I'm sor-"  
  
"No, Melanie. Don't even say it. All you ever seem to say is sorry," Jinxx growled as he turned on his heels and stormed away.  
  
Andy was still standing there, frozen in shock. Melanie realized that Jinxx was right, all she ever did say was sorry. She couldn't think of one person she didn't say sorry to at some point. Did she really make that many mistakes?  
  
"Let's just go back to the table," Melanie said.  
  
"You still have salad dressing on your shirt though," Andy pointed out.  
  
"Oh," Melanie said as she looked at her dressing-stained shirt. She pushed open the door to the women's restroom and Andy followed close behind.  
  
"Andy, you do know that the door said 'ladies,' correct?"  
  
"Yeah, well, I was going to help you clean up. Besides, most people think I'm a really tall female anyway with my hair and facial features, so I doubt anyone will care," he shrugged.  
  
"Fine, but that reminds me, you really do need a haircut."  
  
"Yeah, I was thinking about getting it cut tomorrow," he said as he dampened a paper towel. He gently started rubbing off the dressing until her shirt was soaked and all the dressing was gone.  
  
"I think we should tell the rest of the guys about us, if Jinxx hasn't already," Melanie said to Andy.  
  
"But what about the 'fans,'" Andy objected, using air-quotes, "they would attack you on twitter and probably even at shows. Are you sure you're ready for deranged fangirls?"  
  
"I don't think I'll ever be 'ready,' but if I'm dating you, I'm going to need to learn how to cope."  
  
"Alright. Ready to head back?" Andy asked.  
  
"Yeah," Melanie gulped.  
  
They walked back to the table holding hands with their fingers intertwined. The guys gave them pissed off and saddened looks as Andy and Melanie sat back down.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us?" CC asked sadly. A sad CC, besides an upset Andy, was one of the most heart-breaking things to Melanie.  
  
"CC, we wanted to tell you all, but both Andy and I knew how much hate I would get if they found out Andy broke up with Juliet because he liked me. I'm not good with hate," Melanie said while subconsciously rubbing her arms.  
  
"I understand, but we wouldn't have told any of the fans about you guys. You have to trust us on that," CC said.  
  
"That's the thing, though. She _doesn't_ trust us," Jinxx added with a venomous tone.  
  
"Andy, can we go back to the bus, please?" Melanie whispered to him. She felt like crying, and she had already cried in front of the guys way more than she should've.  
  
Andy gave Melanie a sympathetic look and they slid out of the booth.  
  
"Where are you guys going?" Jake asked.  
  
"Back to the bus, I'll see you guys at sound check," Andy said.  
  
They all nodded, except for Jinxx. Jinxx was sitting in the booth with his arms folded across his chest, glaring at Melanie. Melanie grabbed Andy's hand and leaned up against him as they strolled back to the bus.  
  
They got back on the bus and Melanie let go of Andy's hand. She made her way to her bunk and crawled under the blanket. She didn't fell like talking to anyone, she just wanted to shut everyone out.  
  
The mattress sank next to her and she felt Andy's long, warm arms wrap around her. She turned over to face him and saw that he looked worried, and Melanie understood why. Most of the times Melanie had cut or thought about cutting, she became withdrawn. Melanie gave Andy a small smile, signaling that she was okay, and rested her head up against his chest. She heard his heart pounding at a steady pace.  
  
"I love you Andy," Melanie said, her eyelids began to droop.  
  
"I love you too Princess," Andy said as he kissed the top of her head.  
  
Andy began humming 'The Mortician's Daughter' and within a few minutes Melanie was sound asleep in the arms of her own fallen angel.  
  
********************************************************************************************************  
  
When Melanie woke up Andy wasn't there. It was dark on the bus, so Melanie assumed that the guys were either doing sound check, or they were performing.  
  
She got up and as she did, a piece of paper fell to the floor. It was a bit crumpled and had been written on. Andy probably left it for her. She smoothed it out and read:  
  
Princess,  
I had to leave for sound check, but by the time you read this, we'll most likely be performing or heading back to the bus. Jon told us that we'll be staying in a hotel tonight, so you may want to get some clothes picked out. We all have to share rooms, and you got paired with me. We'll be leaving for the next city at eleven in the morning.  
I love you,  
Andy  
  
Melanie was going to be sharing a room with Andy. It wasn't as if she never shared a bed with Andy before, but she had never been able to have any extended amount of alone time with him.  
  
She didn't want to have sex with Andy, at least not until she knew she wouldn't have a mental breakdown. Even if she did want to do it, she knew the guys would probably be able to hear through the walls, and that was the last thing she wanted.  
  
The bus door opened and Melanie almost jumped out of her skin., Andy came onto the bus with his long, tangled, black hair plastered to his face. The rest of the guys boarded the bus and headed to their bunks and Skylar leaned back against the mini fridge.  
  
"Mel, we just got done with our set, so we're going to be headed to the hotel," he told me, slightly out of breath.  
  
"Okay, I'll get packed."  
  
Melanie stumbled around the bus looking for clothes and some toiletries. Once Melanie had all of her stuff packed into a small duffle, the bus started to move. The sudden movement caused Melanie to topple over onto Andy and Skylar. They all ended up as a tangled mass of limbs on the floor.  
  
"Sorry," Melanie grunted.  
  
"It's fine, just as long as you get your ass off of me," Skylar winced.  
  
Melanie scrambled to get up, and once she was, she grabbed Skylar's hand and pulled her up. Andy was still laying on the floor, not even bothering to try to get up.  
  
"Comfortable down there Andy?" Melanie asked him.  
  
"Not especially, but I'm too tired to get up. Can you pull me up?"  
  
"Fine," Melanie sighed.  
  
Andy held his arms out to Melanie and she gripped onto his hands tightly. It took every ounce of her strength to pull him up.  
  
All of the sudden, the bus stopped and Jon called from the driver's seat, "We're here!"  
  
The guys got out of their bunks with a duffle bag each. Melanie noticed how tired everyone looked. She knew that concerts were tiring, but they didn't look just physically exhausted, they looked mentally exhausted as well.  
  
Jake passed Melanie on the way off the bus and quickly gave her a look of worry, but noticing that she had seen him, he quickly turned his head. What could that possibly be about? She had no more secrets that she kept form the guys, well, apart from the eating disorder, so why would Jake look so worried?  
  
When they had all entered the lobby of a Comfort Inn, Melanie whispered in Andy's ear, "Did something happen that has to do with me that I don't know about? Because Jake gave me a really concerned look a minute ago."  
  
Andy turned to Melanie and whispered back, "We'll talk about it in our room, okay?"  
  
Melanie nodded and just wondered what could've happened. Melanie would've asked Skylar what happened, but she had left as soon as they got off the bus so she could get packed for the tour.  
  
The guys had all been checked in and everyone huddled together in the elevator. Melanie could feel multiple pairs of eyes on her, but as soon as the elevator stopped, everyone exited it. Andy and Melanie found their room pretty quickly because it was right next to everyone else's Andy used the card key to open the door and entered their room.  
  
The room wasn't large by any means, but it sure beat a small bunk on a bus. Andy quickly checked for bed bugs, luckily there weren't any. Melanie set her duffle down on the cheep wooden dresser, crossed her arms and then looked at Andy.  
  
"What happened that I don't know about?" she asked.  
  
Andy ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, "Check twitter."  
  
Melanie took out her phone and opened the twitter app. Her news feed was littered with comments about Andy's new girlfriend with photo attachments. She pressed the link to the twitter picture and gasped in horror.  
  
There was a picture of Andy and Melanie making out at the diner. It was taken from a distance, but Melanie could clearly see Andy's face, along with hers. She was going to get so much hate for this. She wouldn't be able to handle it.  
  
"Oh, shit."


	16. Chapter 16 (She Will Be Loved)

"Some fan took that photo at the diner. I'm sorry, I should've been more careful," Andy apologized.  
  
"Andy, this isn't your fault. I was one who started making out with you. But, I think you should tell the fans though, so they don't think you're cheating on Juliet."  
  
"How do you want me to tell them?" he asked.  
  
Melanie sighed, "Just take a picture and caption it."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah, let's just get this over with."  
  
Andy took out his phone and wrapped his arm around Melanie's waist, kissed her on the cheek and took a picture. He uploaded the picture to twitter and captioned it, 'With my girlfriend Melanie.' It was simple and to the point.  
  
Within a minute there were already almost 100 comments. Very few of them were pleasant.  
  
@mrsandysixx: Who's the skank?  
  
@andygirl666: She's so fat, why do you like her?  
  
@meganbiersack: What happened to Juliet? She was prettier than this bitch.  
  
@bvbaddiction96: STFU! This girl is gorgeous and if Andy is dating her the fans should accept it.  
  
Melanie saw the last comment and started to get teary-eyed. She wasn't completely hated. She really wanted to thank this girl.  
  
"Andy," she said, poking him on the shoulder, "message that girl back."  
  
Andy smiled and started typing. the tweet read; ' @bvbaddiction96 Thank you. You have no idea how much my girlfriend and I appreciated the tweet :)'  
  
The girl immediately replied back and said '@andybvb The real fans should stick up for the members' girlfriends. And thank you so much for replying, your band saved me.'  
  
"I'm going to follow her," Melanie said as she pulled her phone out. She typed in her username and found her profile. The girl was a blonde-haired, grey-eyed girl with a BVB shirt on. Melanie pressed the follow button and put her phone away.  
  
"You're amazing, you know that?" Andy asked while leaning his face closer to hers.  
  
Melanie gave him a weak smile, "No I'm not Andy, you are. I'm just a fat weird girl who happens to be dating you."  
  
Andy caressed Melanie's cheek with the back of his hand and said, "You're not fat, you're perfect."  
  
Melanie was about to respond when her legs gave out from under her and pitch blackness followed.  
  
*******************************************************************************************************  
"What happened to her?" a girl's voice asked, it sounded a bit like Skylar's.  
  
"It seems like she passed out due to malnutrition. From what I've gathered she hasn't eaten, or at least eaten without throwing up, for four days," an unfamiliar male voice said.  
  
"You're saying she's anorexic?" Andy's voice broke.  
  
"It looks like it," the unfamiliar voice said.  
  
Melanie slowly opened her eyes, but closed them as soon as the harsh, bright light reached them. Where was she? She could feel the bed she was lying in. Was she in a hospital? She tried opening her eyes and she squinted at the white ceiling above her.  
  
"Melanie!" Andy gasped as he rushed to her side and sitting in the chair next to the bed. He grabbed onto her hand, rubbing circles in it with his thumb.  
  
"Where am I?" she asked, her voice hoarse.  
  
"In the hospital, you fainted at the hotel. You've been out for a couple hours. The guys are at the hotel because I told them they should get some rest," he frowned.  
  
"Oh. When can I leave?" Melanie asked. She hated hospitals with a burning passion. They were full of sick and dying people, and that made her upset.  
  
"In a few hours, but you have to eat before you leave," the man with the unfamiliar voice said. He was wearing a white doctor's coat, tan slacks, and a blue button-down shirt. He was around thirty with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes.  
  
"Okay," Melanie said, and the doctor left the room.  
  
Skylar was in the corner of the room with her arms crossed and a pissed off expression on her face. Andy was sitting in a chair, still rubbing circles in Melanie's hand, but he wasn't looking at her.  
  
"Skylar, can Melanie and I have some alone time? Maybe you should go back to the hotel and tell the guys what happened?" Andy asked her, his eyes glued to the floor.  
  
Skylar gave a curt nod and stormed out of the room. Andy took some staggered breaths and continued to stare at the white and speckled linoleum floor.  
  
"Andy...," Melanie said.  
  
"What?" he croaked, looking up at her. His eyes were watery and bloodshot.  
  
"I-I'm-," she stuttered.  
  
"You're what? What could you possibly say that's going to make this any better?! I love you to death Melanie, but you're killing yourself!" Andy shouted at her.  
  
Melanie sank into her bed. Andy was yelling at her, and he never yelled at her. She knew she was harming herself, but she couldn't stop. She didn't want to eat until she was perfect.  
  
"I'm sorry, I just, I don't want to lose you. Why do you do this to yourself?" he asked, a bit more calmly.  
  
"I'm not perfect Andy. I want to be skinny and beautiful. I want people to like me. I'm not like you where all of the hate rolls off you. I take in the hate and let it rot me from the inside out."  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you tat you're not fat? If you ask me, I find it sexy when I can't see a girl's ribs. You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and I've never been more in love with anyone in my entire life! Please, take care of yourself," Andy begged.  
  
"I'll try Andy, but I don't know if I can do it," Melanie said.  
  
Andy got out of his chair and bent over to give Melanie a kiss on her forehead.  
  
"I'm here for you Princess," he whispered.  
  
"You truly are my Batman," she grinned.  
  
A nurse came into the room carrying a tray of gross hospital food. She was tall and curvy in all the right places. She had short, curly, blonde hair, green eyes, tan skin, and full lips. She set the tray down on Melanie's lap. She turned to Andy and gave him a wink.  
  
 _Oh hell no!_ Melanie thought.  
  
Andy gave the girl a disgusted look and she frowned. She walked out of the room leaving Andy and Melanie alone again.  
  
Melanie looked down at her tray of food and made a face, "I'm not going to eat this."  
  
"Princess, you have to eat it. They won't let you go until you eat it," he sighed.  
  
"I know, but do they at least have grilled chicken? This looks like multiple piles of mush," she poked the piles with her fork.  
  
Andy laughed and Melanie reluctantly put a fork full of mush into her mouth. It didn't taste like anything, which freaked Melanie out a little bit. After twenty minutes of taking small bites of the mystery substances, she was finally finished.  
  
The doctor walked into the room to see that Melanie had eaten the food and he handed her the release forms. Melanie quickly filled them out and slowly got out of the hospital bed. She stretched and felt a breeze around her backside.  
  
Andy cleared his throat. Melanie blushed a deep crimson and turned around so Andy wasn't staring at her ass.  
  
"Enjoy the view?" Melanie asked.  
  
"Just a little bit," he smirked.  
  
"Um, where are my clothes?"  
  
"Here," Andy said, picking up a pile of clothes off of a side table.  
  
Melanie put her clothes on underneath her hospital gown, which wasn't an easy task, but she got it done. Once she was dressed she ran her fingers through her hair.  
  
"Alright, let's go," Andy said, grabbing Melanie by her hand and lead her out of the hospital.  
"Where are we going?" she asked.  
  
"To get my hair cut, and I figured if I got my hair cut, you'd do something different with yours too," he explained while getting into his car. Melanie slid into the passenger seat and looked at him oddly.  
  
"But I love my black hair!" she whined while touching her hair.  
  
"Melanie, we both know that isn't your real hair colour. I can see your dirty blonde roots coming through," he laughed.  
  
"Same with you! I just don't want to get rid of the black," she pouted.  
  
They parked the car in front of a beauty salon. It had a bit of a rock vibe to it, which Melanie liked, but why would it be open at eleven at night?  
  
Andy once again grabbed her hand and they made their way into the salon.  
  
"Oh god...," Melanie quietly moaned.


	17. Chapter 17 (Devil's Choir)

I can't believe you did that to your hair!" Melanie exclaimed as she ran her fingers through Andy's now short hair.  
  
"It was getting gross," he said defensively, "and I still can't get over what you did with your hair." He twirled a strand of her bleach blonde hair with rainbow streaks.  
  
"What, do you not like it?" she asked.  
  
"No," he said bending over and giving her a kiss on the cheek, "I love it."  
  
They got out of the rental car and stepped back onto the bus.  
  
"Holy shit! What the hell did you guys do?" a dumb-founded Jake asked.  
  
"We got our hair done," Melanie replied nonchalantly.  
  
"Dude, the fangirls are going to be so pissed," CC laughed.  
  
"The real fans won't like me just for my hair," Andy said.  
  
"Ashley! Skylar! Stop having sex for a minute and get your asses out here!" Jake called.  
  
Ashley and Skylar stumbled out of their bunk, fully clothed.  
  
"We weren't having sex! Jesus, I don't just love Ashley for his looks you know," Skylar said.  
  
Ashley turned to Skylar and asked, "You love me?"  
  
Skylar covered her face with her hair to hide her now growing blush.  
  
"Yes, I love you."  
  
Ashley brought her into a hug and whispered into her ear, "I love you too."  
  
"Blegh!" CC pretended to vomit.  
  
"You're just jealous that you're the only one without a girlfriend," Ashley said. CC only stuck out his tongue in response.  
  
"Why did you want us out here again?" Skylar asked Jake. Jake pointed to Andy and Melanie.  
  
"Oh. My. God. Melanie, why didn't you tell me you got your hair done?"  
  
"Andy kinda pressured me to do it," she said, "Anyway, we should all just get some sleep. There's a show tomorrow, remember?"  
  
"Fine, but we are so talking about this tomorrow."  
  
Melanie walked over to her bunk and laid on the blankets. She heard the curtain of her bunk being pulled back, so she rolled over.  
  
"Princess, I'm going to go return the rental, I'll be back in a little bit though," Andy whispered.  
  
Melanie nodded her head and rolled back over onto her side. She didn't think she'd be all that tired after being asleep for a couple hours, but she was. Melanie fell asleep after a few minutes, wishing Andy was there to sing her to sleep.  
  
**********************************************************************************************************  
  
"Princess, it's time to wake up," Andy murmured in Melanie's ear, then kissed her temple.  
  
"Five more minutes mom," Melanie slurred senselessly.  
  
"Do I really remind you of your mother?" Andy chuckled.  
  
Melanie blinked her eyes open to see Andy and she immediately mentally slapped herself, "Um, no, I was just talking nonsense."  
  
"Come on Princess, we picked up some food from Panda Express."  
  
"I'm not that hungry, but thanks," Melanie said, pecking him on the lips.  
  
"Princess, you only had that one meal at the hospital yesterday. You need to eat," Andy said a bit frustrated.  
  
"Fine, I'll eat," Melanie said grudgingly, getting out of her bunk. She walked up to the front of the bus where Panda Express littered the countertops.  
  
Melanie took a container of lo-mien out of one of the plastic bags and grabbed a fork from a drawer. She sat down at the table with the rest of the guys. Andy sat down next to her and placed his hand on her thigh, giving her some comfort. She took a bite of the lo-mien and felt everyone staring at her.  
  
"I know you're not staring at me because of my hair, so I'm guessing Skylar told you, huh?" she asked. she couldn't help but feel insecure with everyone's attention on her.  
  
"Mel, why didn't you tell us?" Ashley asked her.  
  
"She doesn't trust us remember?" Jinxx scowled as he got up from the table and went outside.  
  
"I should go talk to him," Melanie said more to herself than anyone else.  
  
"Not until you finish your food," Andy said.  
  
"Remember when I told you, you didn't remind me of my mother? I lied," Melanie told him.  
Andy grinned at her and Melanie heard the rest of the group chuckle a bit too. She quickly finished her contain of lo-mien and sprinted off the bus in order to find Jinxx.  
  
Melanie found Jinxx behind the bus with his head in his hands. Little choked sobs were coming from him. Melanie carefully approached him, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
He looked up and glared at Melanie, "What do you want?"  
  
"Jinxx, what's wrong? I know I should have told you about me and Andy, but I don't understand why you'd be this upset."  
  
Jinxx sighed heavily, "You have Andy and you get to be here with him everyday while Sammi is at home and I'm on the road. Ashley has Skylar, and I'm just incredibly jealous I guess. I miss Sammi and it's hard to be around so many happy couples I suppose."  
  
"Jinxx, you'll get to see Sammi soon, and what you said about me and Andy being happy isn't completely true," Melanie muttered.  
  
"What do you mean?" Jinxx asked.  
  
"Remember how I broke down crying the other day?"  
  
"Yeah," Jinxx said, dragging out the 'h.'  
  
"Well it was because I had a bit of a mental break-down when me and Andy were outside kissing. It reminded me of when I was raped. And then there's the fact that I used to cut and that I'm anorexic. Me and Andy are in love, but that doesn't mean we're entirely happy," Melanie sighed.  
  
"Mel, I didn't know," Jinxx gulped.  
  
"That's why I didn't get mad at you when you yelled at me. Are we good now?"  
  
"Yeah, we're good."  
  
"Now hurry up, sound check is in a few," Melanie said, taking his hand and helping him up.  
  
They got back on the bus and were immediately greeted with the guys asking in unison, "Are you two okay now?"  
  
Jinxx and Melanie laughed and nodded. Melanie was glad that her and Jinxx made up, because if they didn't, well, she didn't know what she would've done. He was her best guy friend and she needed him.  
  
"Um, guys," Skylar spoke up, "I don't think I'm going to the show."  
  
"Why not?" Ashley asked.  
  
"I'm not feeling well, I think I'm going to-," she dashed to the bathroom before she could finish her sentence.  
  
Melanie heard Skylar's retching heaves coming from the bathroom. She walked to the bathroom and opened the door to see an exhausted looking Skylar draped over the toilet. Skylar was taking deep breaths, trying to collect herself. The vomiting stopped for the time being.  
  
"Sky?" Melanie asked.  
  
"Mhm?" she grunted in response.  
  
"You want to have a girl's night in?"  
  
"Don't you want to see the show?" she asked shakily.  
  
"Nah, I can see a show any time I want. Also, I don't want to leave my best friend alone on the bus while she's puking her guts out."  
  
"Okay, sounds go-," the vomiting began again and was worse than before.  
  
"I'll get you some water," Melanie said.  
  
Skylar nodded in between heaves and Melanie took a plastic cup and filled it to the brim with tap water. She handed Skylar the cup and she gladly swallowed it all in one gulp, which probably wasn't the best idea considering a moment later she started puking again.  
  
"I'll be right back," Melanie told a shaking Skylar.  
  
Melanie went to the guys and told them, "I'm going to stay with Skylar tonight. I don't want her to be by herself, so you guys go on ahead to sound check."  
  
"You sure?" Andy asked.  
  
"Yeah, positive."  
  
The guys got up from the table and headed off to sound check. Melanie ran back to the bathroom to see if Skylar was alright. Skylar's hair was in disarray around her face, so Melanie pulled it back and saw scars around her neck.  
  
"Skylar, what the hell?" Melanie gasped, "It looks like you cut veins and tied a noose around your neck."  
  
"I-I di-did," she stuttered.  
  
"When?"  
  
"My dad, you know how he was, but you didn't know what went on when you weren't with me. He raped me, and I hated how I felt afterwards, so I tried killing myself. I've been better since I got away from that _thing,_ but I can't get rid of the scars," she sobbed.  
  
Melanie enveloped her in a hug and whispered sweet nothings in her ear until she calmed down.  
  
"You know what this calls for?" Melanie asked a now red-eyed Skylar.  
  
"No, I don-, Ouch!" she squealed, putting her hand over her eye. She put her fingers to her eyes and took out a pair of blue contacts to reveal her one light green and one hazel eyes.  
  
"Whoah, I didn't know you had two different coloured eyes," Melanie gawked at her.  
  
"Yeah, well I kinda hate them. I've always loved blue eyes though, hence the contacts," she said while putting her contacts back in.  
  
"I think your eyes are gorgeous," Melanie said.  
  
"Thanks," Skylar mumbled.  
  
"How about we watch a movie and have some popcorn?"  
  
"Sounds great," Skylar grinned.  
  
Melanie put the first Harry Potter movie into the DVD player and shoved a bag of popcorn into the microwave and pressed the popcorn button. After three minutes the popcorn was done and Melanie settled into the couch with Skylar and got absorbed in the movie, even though she already saw it twenty times.  
  
About halfway through the movie Melanie and Skylar had finished the popcorn. Skylar excused herself to the restroom. Melanie heard vomiting sounds from the bathroom.  
  
 _She's probably getting sick again_ , she thought to herself as she continued to stare at the TV screen.  
  
A minute later Skylar came out of the bathroom and joined Melanie on the couch.  
  
"You okay?" Melanie asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Skylar said without looking at Melanie, her eyes were glued to the TV.  
  
After twenty minutes Skylar fell asleep and her head somehow ended up on Melanie's lap, and right before the end of the movie Melanie drifted off too.


	18. Chapter 18 (Deuce)

Two weeks had passed by and things had been going well for Melanie. She started eating more and she hadn't cut or had another mental breakdown. Andy and her were getting more intimate, but they still hadn't got to _that_ point yet. Ashley and Skylar never seemed to be away from each other, which Melanie found cute, but slightly irritating at the same time. Jinxx was even talking to Melanie more. It seemed like everything was going perfect.  
  
"Mel, come shopping with me! We need new clothes!" Skylar whined.  
  
"Finally ditching your boyfriend to hang out with me?" Melanie teased.  
  
"Sorry about that," Skylar rubbed the back of her neck, "but yes, I'm ditching my very sexy boyfriend to hang out with my dorky best friend."  
  
"Alright, let's go, the show starts in seven hours. We can go shopping and get a bite to eat, okay?"  
  
"Yes!" Skylar fist-pumped the air.  
  
"You're so weird...," Melanie smirked.  
  
"But you love it."  
  
"True," Melanie said as she slipped on a pair of black flip-flops. She checked to see if her phone was in the back pocket of her blue jeans and she got off the bus with Skylar.  
  
"Hot Topic!" Skylar yelled as they entered the mall.  
  
"Okay, Jesus lady you're going to burst my ear drums," Melanie started massaging her ears.  
  
They entered Hot Topic and Melanie's jaw dropped. She had never been in a Hot Topic store before, not because she didn't like the style of clothes, but because her parents would only let her out of the house to go to school or work.  
  
There were more cloloured skinny jeans and band t-shirts than she could count. It was a good thing that she brought all of her money with her. She grabbed a bundle of t-shirts, a half-dozen jeans, a couple dresses and went to the dressing room. She tried on clothes for probably close to an hour, but she couldn't help it, she wanted to make sure she looked good in her clothes. When Melanie was finally finished trying on clothes, she came out of the dressing room to be greeted by a very impatient Skylar.  
  
"Jeez Mel, how many things did you try on? I've been waiting for twenty minutes."  
  
"I tried on a lot. How about we go pay for our stuff, yeah?"  
  
"You better have enough money to pay for all that," Skylar said, motioning to the armful of clothing that Melanie held, "because there is no way in hell I'm paying for all of that."  
  
"Don't worry, I have my money," Melanie said as she put her clothes and Skylar's clothes in two separate piles on the counter.  
  
Skylar bought a variety of band t-shirts, some skinny jeans and a few hoodies. Melanie got much more, even though she didn't need all of it. She ended up with six pairs of skinny jeans, two dresses, and MCR hoodie, BVB, PTV, SWS, FIR, and AA t-shirts and multiple band wristbands.  
  
"Are you two paying together or seperately?" the girl at the counter asked kindly.  
  
"Seperately," Skylar answered.  
  
The girl rang up Skylar first, and needless to say, Skylar wasn't all that thrilled with the price. Melanie shifted over to where Skylar was standing a moment ago, now Skylar was off to the side waiting for Melanie.  
  
"Holy crap, I didn't recognize you with the hair," the girl gasped.  
  
"Um, what?" Melanie asked confused.  
  
"You're Melanie Greer, right? Andy Biersack's girlfriend?"  
  
"Yeah, I am," she replied causiously.  
  
"Oh my gosh, I think you two are the sweetest couple. I think you're so beautiful, and, wow. Sorry, I'm fangirling right now," the girl said, a bit embarrassed.  
  
"It's cool, and thanks, it's nice to know some people don't hate me," Melanie laughed.  
  
"Um, would it be okay if I took a picture with you? It's okay if you say no, it's just...," the girl trailed off.  
  
"Yeah, that's fine. Do you have a phone?"  
  
The girl nodded her head and fumbled to get her phone out of her pocket. the girl came out from behind the counter and Melanie gave the girl a side hug while smiling at the phone. There was a flash of light from the phone and then Melanie let go.  
  
The cashier took her place behind the counter and started ringing up Melanie's clothes.  
  
"Thanks for the picture, it means a lot. Oh, and by the way, I love your taste in music," she said as she looked at the assorted band shirts.  
  
"Thanks, it was really great to meet you," Melanie smiled as she picked up her bags and headed out the door with an angry Skylar.  
  
"What's wrong Sky? You seem pissed," Melanie commented.  
  
"She recognized you, but not me," Skylar huffed.  
  
"Well have you and Ashley gone public yet?"  
  
"No, we both love each other, but I don't know why he doesn't want to tell everyone we're dating."  
  
"I'm sure you'll go public soon, don't worry about it."  
  
"Yeah. Can we go get some lunch or something?" Skylar asked.  
  
"Sure, I'm kinda hungry anyway."  
  
They walked over to the food court and chose to get some McDonalds. Melanie ordered a fish sandwich and a berry smoothie while Skylar ordered a salad.  
  
They sat down at one of the tables and ate in silence, and not the comfortable kind.  
  
"Skylar, I guarantee you that Ashley will do something special to let everybody know you're dating, and if he doesn't I'll hit him," Melanie said, breaking the silence.  
  
"I hope so. I don't want to be thought of as just one of his easy fucks. I want to feel special, you know?"  
  
"Yeah, I know what you mean, and that's why I haven't done you-know-what with Andy yet," Melanie said before taking a long slurp of her smoothie.  
  
"I'm going to use the restroom really quick. I'll be back in a few," Skylar said, getting up from her seat and making her way to the bathroom. Melanie finished her smoothie and sandwich, so that her and Skylar could leave as soon as she got back.  
  
Skylar returned five minutes later and Melanie threw away their trash.  
  
"Ready to get back to the guys? We have five hours left before the show."  
  
"Okay, let's go," she said, hooking her arm in Melanie's and escorting her back to the bus.  
  
"Sometimes I wonder if you're not really a five year old in an eighteen year old's body," Melanie joked.  
  
"Sometimes I think that too," Skylar laughed.  
  
"Ugh, I shouldn't have bought so much stuff," Melanie groaned as she hauled her bags onto the bus.  
  
"On the plus side, you may have gained some muscle."  
  
"Holy crap, how much did you girls buy?" CC asked.  
  
"A lot," Skylar said.  
  
"What time does sound check start for you guys?" Melanie asked a tired Jake who had just come from his bunk.  
  
"In about thirty minutes. What are you two going to do while we're doing sound check?" Jake said while trying unsuccessfully to tame his hair.  
  
"We'll probably nap for a couple hours, I didn't really have a good night's sleep last night," Melanie replied.  
  
"Were you and Andy having sex or something?" Ashley asked.  
  
"No! We haven't even got there yet....," Melanie mumbled the last part.  
  
"Seriously? You've been dating for three weeks and have been living on a bus together for over a month. If I were Andy I would be going absolutely nuts! I mean, I'd understand if you're not ready for it, but there's only so much one man can take," Ashley shared his thoughts.  
  
"It's not that I'm not ready, it's that I want it to be perfect. Besides, we haven't been to a hotel in a week, and I really don't want my first time with him to be in a bunk while trying not to hit my head," Melanie blushed.  
  
"Well, we'll be stopping at a hotel tonight," CC said, wiggling his eyebrows.  
  
"Jeez, um anyways, Ashley can I talk to you in private?" Melanie asked.  
  
"Come on! We can give sex advice just as well as Purdy can!" CC complained.  
  
Melanie shot him a look and quickly glanced over at Skylar, who gave Melanie an appreciative smile and looked down.  
  
"What's up?" Ashley asked when they were in the bedroom, which was only ever used when Ashley had a one-night fling, which hasn't happened since Skylar.  
  
"I'm not being pushy, I swear. I'm just trying to be a good friend to you and Skylar," Melanie told him before she was going to say what she really wanted to say.  
  
"Okay, what do you need to tell me?" he asked sceptically.  
  
"Skylar is a bit upset that you two haven't gone public yet. Ash, she isn't me, you don't have to worry about her when it comes to dealing with hate, she's stronger than me. I know she really loves you, but she's feeling like you're treating her more like a fuck buddy than a girlfriend."  
  
"Oh...," he breathed.  
  
"I just wanted to let you know, because I really want you both to be happy. And as a recomendation, I suggest you do something really romantic to announce your relationship."  
  
"Note taken. Tell Skylar to dress to impress tonight."  
  
"Will do," Melanie smiled.  
  
They got out of the bedroom and the guys and Skylar were sitting on the couch. Ashley took the spot next to Skylar and kissed her on the cheek. Melanie sat on Andy's lap and rested her head in the crook of his neck. She was breathing lightly on his neck unintentionally causing Andy to get goosebumps. His heart beat was quickening and she felt a movement in his pants.  
  
"Jesus Mel," Andy said under his breath.  
  
"Sorry!" she squeeked as she slid off his lap and onto the open seat next to him.  
  
The guys all turned their attention to Andy and Mel. Ashley was the first to react when seeing the predicament Andy was in, his eyes bulged and he let out a loud laugh. The rest of the gusy laughed as soon as they noticed it too, but Skylar seemed to be the one who found it the most amusing. She was doubled-over laughing with tears running down her face. Andy quickly took one of the pillows that were on the couch and covered himself up.  
  
"Um, let's all just go to sound check. Okay?" Andy asked his voice a bit higher than usual and his face flushed.  
  
The guys got up from their seats, still chuckling. Andy got up as well, trying his hardest to hide his erection.  
  
"You are just trying to torture that boy," Skylar giggled.  
  
"I didnt' do it on purpose!" Melanie exclaimed.  
  
Skylar shrugged and went ot lay down in her bunk. Melanie left to her bunk as well, lost in thought.  
  
********************************************************************************************************  
  
"Alright everyone, we're going to be performing another song for you guys, but Ash is going to be singing this one," Andy told the crowd, handing Ashley the microphone.  
  
"Skylar could you come on stage, please?" Ashley said into the microphone.  
  
"No way, this is not happening!" Skylar squealed.  
  
"Go on Skylar," Melanie encouraged as she gently shoved Skylar in the direction of the stage.


	19. Chapter 19 (A Love Like War)

" _I will be there_ ," Ashley finished.  
  
He sang 'Saviour' to Skylar, her favourite song. This was most likely one of the cheesiest things Melanie ever saw, but she still thought it was adorable.  
  
"So if you guys haven't figured it out yet, this beautiful girl here is my girlfriend."  
  
There was an eruption of cheers, but also a fair amount of boos to be heard from the crowd. Skylar waved at the audience and walked off of the stage.  
  
"That was perfect," Skylar told Melanie while holding onto her chest.  
  
"Well since Ash did that for his girl, I suppose it's only fair that I do it for mine. What do you guys think?" Andy asked the fans. There was once again a loud eruption of cheers from the crowd mixed with a few boos.  
  
"Oh god...," Melanie gulped.  
  
"Jeez Mel, move your ass!" Skylar said, pushing Melanie towards the stage.  
  
Melanie slowly shuffled her way to Andy, who held his hand out to her. His hand was sweaty, but it was comforting non the less.  
  
The introduction to 'Carolyn' started and Melanie took in a sharp intake of breath. She looked up into Andy's brilliant, blue eyes and noticed that familiar glint in them. Andy sang through the song, his gaze not wandering from Melanie's face. Melanie hardly noticed the music playing or the cheers from the fans, she only noticed Andy. The music stopped and Andy kissed her gently on the lips which earned some 'aww's and 'boo's from the crowd. Melanie blushed furiously and waved quickly to the fans, and made her way backstage to the happiest Skylar she'd ever seen.  
  
"We have the sweetest boyfriends ever, don't we?" Skylar asked.  
  
"Yeah, we sure do," Melanie smiled as she looked back at Andy on the stage.  
  
**********************************************************************************************************  
  
"Andy, when did you and Ashley plan that serenading thing out?" Melanie asked a sweaty Andy.  
  
"Well, right before the show actually. We just both wanted to show off our amazing girlfriends," he smirked.  
  
They grabbed thier overnight bags from off the bus and headed up to their rooms.  
Melanie jumped into the show when they got to their room, she desperately needed to clam herself down. Tonight was going to be the night she gave herself ot him. She scrubbed away all of the dirt from the day and turned the shower off before drying herself off. She put on some silky pajamas- lingerie just wasn't her style- and exited the bathroom.  
  
Andy wasn't there, which Melanie found a bit odd. She thought about where he would be, and then it hit her. She slid on a pair of worn-out flip flops then went outside. After circling the hotel almost once, she found Andy. He was leaned up against the wall of the hotel taking long drags from his ciggarette.  
  
"Hey, what are you doing out here when it's freezing?" Melanie asked.  
  
He jerked his head in her direction, obviously not expecting her to be there.  
  
"I just needed a bit of a smoke," he answered, then turned his head to look up at the moon and stars.  
  
"I wanted to tell you, that what you did tonight was really sweet," Melanie said, even though it wasn't totally true. She thought it was sweet, but that wasn't what she came all the way to say.  
  
Andy smiled a little, but other than that, he showed almost no signs of hearing her.  
  
"Andy?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I-I'm ready."  
  
Andy looked at her slightly confused, but after realizing what she'd just said, his beautiful smile spread across his face. But then his smille fell a tad when he said, "I don't have any condoms."  
  
"I'm on the pill," Melanie admitted, embarrassed.  
  
"Since when?"  
  
"Since, you know...," Melanie didn't need to exagerate any more because she knew that he understood what she meant.  
  
Melanei took the ciggarette that Andy still had held loosly in his hand and toossed it to the ground. She grabbed his hand and led him back into the hotel with butterflies building in her stomach.  
  
As soon as they got in their room and shut the door, Andy pinned Melanie up against the wall and kissed her pationately. Melanie wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth a bit, and Andy took that as an invite to slip his tongue into her mouth. His hands traveled down her body and stopped at the hem of her shirt.  
  
Andy broke away from the kiss and started kissing down Melanie's neck. Once he found her sweet spot, he started nibbling on her skin. Melanie let out a loud moan and Andy slid her shirt up to her bra line. Melanie lifted up her arms to allow him to take it completely off, which he did along with his own. He yanked off Melanie's pajama pants and she did the same to his jeans, leaving them both in only thier underwear.  
  
They pressed their bodies back together and Melanie began kissing his jawline and her lips slowly migrated to his neck and he let out a shakey breath. She left him little love bites on his neck and shoulder blades, his breathing became more ragged with every nip of his neck.  
She felt his erection growing in his boxers," Just fuck me Mel," Andy growled seductively.  
  
She immediately wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders. Andy carried her to the bed and hovered over her for a second before trailing kisses from her lips down to her panty line. He pulled her underwear down to her ankles with his teeth and she flicked them off her feet. She undid her bra and threw it across the room.  
  
Andy positioned himself at her entrance and looked Melanie in the eyes, "You're one-hundred percent sure you want to do this?" Andy asked her.  
  
Melanie nervously nodded her head, and with that Andy pounded into her, apperantly not able to wait any longer. Andy continued slamming into her, making Melanie groan in pain. He steadied his pace and Melanie's groans went from pained to pleasured. She dug her fingernails into his back and continued to moan.  
  
Melanie started to feel that certain feeling in the pit of her stomach and she gasped.  
  
"Andy... think... Im going... to cum," she breathed in between his thrusts.  
  
"Me too, Mel," he grunted.  
  
"GOD, ANDY!" Melanie screamed as she climaxed, and Andy came a few moments later.  
  
Andy slowed his thrusts and pulled out. He rolled off of Melanie and gave her a small peck on the cheek. It took a minute before either of them gathered enough breath to speak.  
  
Melanie was the first to speak, "That was.."  
  
"Amazing," Andy finished for her.  
  
"I love you," Melanie said, resting her head on Andy's sweat-coated chest.  
  
Andy wrapped an arm around her and muttered, "I love you too."  
  
**********************************************************************************************************  
For once Melanie was the first to wake up in the morning. It was eight o'clock and no one else was up, which meant Melanie was left with only her thoughts, and she couldn't have been happier than when Skylar knocked on the door at ten, which caused Andy to wake up.  
  
Melanie opened the door to a very chipper looking Skylar.  
  
"You had sex last night, didn't you?" Skylar asked eagerly.  
  
"Yes, we did. Ashley and the rest of the guys are outside hiding aren't they?" Andy projected from the far end of the room.  
  
Skylar grinned guiltily and moved over, allowing all of the guys to squeeze through the door.  
  
"Do you guys not know what privacy is?" Melanie asked sarcastically.  
  
"Nope," CC replied.  
  
"You do know that the walls aren't sound-proof, right? You guys were so loud last night that none of us could fall asleep until you two stopped fucking," Jake laughed.  
  
"Oh god!" Melanie wailed as she covered her face with her hands.  
  
Andy pulled on a shirt, and tossed one of his other ones over to Melanie, who had only just realized she was standing in front of all the guys in her underwear.  
  
"If you two could get all packed up, that would be great, cause we have to leave in thirty minutes," Jinxx said, checking his phone.  
  
"Alright, just leave and we'll be ready in twenty," Melanie told them.  
  
Skylar and the guys left the room, and when Melanie closed the door she heard Ashley yell, "No fucking!"  
  
Melanie smiled to herself and ran her hand through her hair. She turned around and started to pack.


	20. Chapter 20 (Famous Last Words)

Two weeks. Two weeks since Andy and Melanie had sex for the first time, and they haven't done it since. Every single time that they tried, one of the guys would interrupt them. But for the past few days Melanie hadn't felt like having sex. She felt off.  
  
"We're going out for breakfast, you want to join?" Andy asked, peaking into her bunk.  
  
"Yeah, sure just give me a-," she shoved Andy out of the way and ran to the bathroom. She leaned over the toilet and threw up all the contents of her stomach.  
  
"Mel! What's wrong?" Andy asked as he reached the bathroom.  
  
"Just got a bit sick is all, don't worry about it," Melanie told him, slowly getting up.  
  
"Maybe you should just stay here," Andy suggested.  
  
"That's probably a good idea. Is Skylar still here?"  
  
"Yeah, do you want me to go get her for you?"  
  
"Yes please."  
  
Andy left the bathroom and returned a minute later with a worried Skylar.  
  
"Mel, you okay?" Skylar asked.  
  
"Yeah, Andy, you and the guys can head out to breakfast. Me and Skylar are just going to stay here," Melanie said.  
  
"Alright, call if you need anything," he whispered as he kissed her forehead and left.  
  
"We're not going to stay here are we?" Skylar asked heavily.  
  
"No. Would you mind coming to the drug store with me?" Melanie asked hesitantly. She wanted to be sure that her thoughts were wrong, because if they were right.....  
  
"Oh my god, you're not are you?"  
  
"I really hope not," Melanie mumbled.  
  
"Let's go, we don't know when the guys will be back." Skylar took Melanie's hand and pulled her off the bus and rushed over to the nearest drug store.  
  
They searched the isles until they found the tests. Melanie took four, knowing that she couldn't be too carefull. She payed for them and went into the restroom and peed on all four of the sticks and waited three excruciatingly long minutes. She looked down at the tests, all of which showed a pink plus sign.  
  
"Oh god! Oh god!" Melanie started to hyperventilate as she pulled her hair by its roots. She was on birth control, she shouldn't have gotten pregnant. She was only eighteen. Andy was a rock star who she had been dating for only over a month. This was going to ruin him.  
  
"Mel? Did you get the results yet?" Skylar questioned through the door.  
  
Melanie opened up the door holding the tests tightly in her hand. She threw them at the floor and ran back to the bus. Crying.  
  
******************************************************************************************************  
  
 **Skylar's P.O.V.**  
  
"Why hasn't Melanie come out of her bunk?" Andy asked me, jolting me out of my thoughts. Melanie was pregnant. I still couldn't wrap my head around it.  
  
"She's not felling well, so she'd thought it would be best if she rested," Skylar answered, not totally untruthfully.  
  
"Oh...tell her I'll be at the venue," Andy said, getting up off the couch and leaving the bus.  
I felt for waht Melanie was going through, having a kid with a successful rocker whose band is continuing to grow is a bad situation to be in. I know that Melanie has to tell Andy, but I know she's not up for that yet.  
  
I rose from the couch and headed to Melanie's bunk, she was sleeping. I grabbed a scrap piece of notebook pater and a pen, and left her a note saying that the guys and I were at the venue and to get there when she woke up. I checked my phone to see I had a message from Ashley.  
  
Ash: Why aren't you at the venue yet? I miss you <3  
  
I texted back: Be there in a few. I miss you too <3  
  
I hopped off the bus and walked over to the venue, my combat boots slapping against the concrete.  
  
I passed the line of fans were either really excited to see me or decided to flip me off. I gave all the girls who were flipping me off the middle finger right back. Screw the haters.  
I went to the side entrance of the venue and saw a skinny blonde with big boobs and too much make up on, blocking my way.  
  
"Um, excuse me, I need to get through," I said as politely as I could.  
  
"You're Ashley's _girlfriend_ right?" the blonde asked putting a sarcastic emphasis on the word 'girlfriend.'  
  
"Yeah, why?" I knew in my gut this was going to get messy really quickly.  
  
"Well, I'd just thought I'd warn you that you'll be looking for a new boyfriend at the end of the night, because Ashley is going to drop you for me." Her nasaly high-pitched voice was beginning to get on my nerves.  
  
"Really? And why would that be?" I asked, a bit amused by the situation.  
  
"Because you're fat, worthless, ugly, and _pathetic_ ," she spat.  
  
That word kept on ringing in my ears. The only person who ever called me those words was my dad. I ran back to the bus, feeling that familiar feeling growing. The flashbacks.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
 _"You're a pathetic little bitch, you know that?" my dad asked while kicking my sides.  
_  
 _"S-stop, p-please d-dad," I whimpered.  
_  
 _"Not until you've learned your lesson," he said, kicking my sides again and again...and again.  
_  
 _"I've learned it! Just stop!" I cried.  
_  
 _"You filthy slut! Did you just lie to me?" he asked, grabbing my tear-streaked face and holding it up to his.  
_  
 _"N-no," I replied._  
  
 _"Liar!" he shouted at me as his large hand made contact with my cheek. He tore my shirt and jeans off my body and stripped me of my underwear. I kicked and screamed, but he didn't stop. The feeling of his skin on mine, his lips on mine, made me feel like worms were moving in my stomach. It was wrong. So wrong.  
_  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The flashback ended and I wound up on the ground naked. I sighed. Every single time it's the same flashback. I pulled my clothes back on and went to the bathroom to splash water on my face. I looked in the mirror and admittedly, I looked and felt terrible.  
  
 _"It would be so much easier if you just ended it. No more pain of the flashbacks or your miserable life. You wouldn't have to deal with how worthless you are. Kill yourself,"_ the demonic voice sneered.  
  
"Go away. You're just in my head. You aren't real," I told it, grinding my teeth.  
  
 _"I may not seem real, but I am. Just as real as your fears and insecurities. I know everything about you. I know you desperately want to kill yourself,"_ it said.  
  
It was true, I did want to kill myself, but I couldn't. Melanie needed me.  
  
 _"Melanie doesn't need you. She's been doing fine without you. While you were busy clinging onto Ashley, she was recovering from her eating dissorder. What have you done? You're worthless. No one will miss you. End it."  
_  
I was in tears. Everything the voice was saying was true. I was worthless. Melanie doesn't need me. I was just fooling myself.  
  
I dug around the crap in the bathroom, looking for my razor, and I finally found it next to the trash. I placed it on my skin and dragged it across my flesh, each cut getting deeper and deeper. I cut one last time, making sure to hit a vein, and I screamed.  
  
*******************************************************************************************************  
  
 **Normal P.O.V.**  
  
Melanie was sleeping soundly when she heard a loud scream from the bathroom. She jumped out of the bed and saw a pool of blood forming by the bathroom door. She looked inside and saw Skylar laying on the floor.  
  
"Sky! Hold on! Please!" she panicked as she pulled out her phone and called 911.  
  
"911, what's your emergency?" a female voice asked.  
  
"My friend cut a vein. We're in a tour bus outside 'The Starstriker' concert venue," Melanie spewed out.  
  
"An ambulance is on the way," she responded.  
  
"Thank you," Melanie said and hung up.  
  
"Mel, I-I'm sorry," Skylar croaked.  
  
"It's okay, just hold on okay?"  
  
"Tell Ashley I love him, a-and to find someone else to give h-his heart t-to when i-it's time," she said, her voice gradually losing volume.  
  
"You'll be able to tell him yourself. I won't let you die," Melanie cried.  
  
"Sing to me?" Skylar whispered.  
  
"Okay," Melanie cleared her throat.  
  
" _I never meant to be the one_  
 _Who kept you from the dark_  
 _But now I know my wounds are sewn_  
 _Because of who you are_  
 _I will take this burden on_  
 _And become the holy one_  
 _But remember I am human_  
 _And I'm bound to sing this song_  
  
 _So hear my voice remind you not to bleed_  
 _I am here,_  
 _Saviour will be there_  
 _When you are feeling alone, oh_  
 _A saviour for all that you do_  
 _So you live freely without their harm."_  
  
"Thank you. I love you Mel...."  
  
Skylar's eyes closed and her breathing ceased.  
  
"Skylar! Wake up! Sky!" Melanie screamed with tears flowing from her eyes. She shook her, but she wouldn't wake up. Her best friend was gone. The one person who knew all of her secrets and still stood by her, was gone and she wasn't coming back.


	21. Chapter 21 (Second Chance)

"Miss, you've got to let go of the body," the paramedic told Melanie.  
  
Melanie reluctantly let go of Skylar and let the paramedics take her on the ambulance. They drove away with the sirens blaring. Melanie walked back onto the bus and sat herself down outside the bathroom. She stared at the pool of blood and went into some sort of trance.  
  
"Mel? What are you- Oh my god...," Andy gasped from the front of the bus.  
  
Melanie didn't move or say anything. She felt numb, empty, dead.  
  
"Mel, what happened? Why is there blood on the floor?" Andy asked, worry evident in his voice.  
  
Melanie tried to answer, but only choked noises came out of her mouth. Then finally everything hit her like an on-coming bus. She curled up into a little ball, not caring if she got blood on her clothes. She was probably drenched in blood already anyway.  
  
Andy fell to his knees and took Melanie into his arms. Her face was pressed up against his bare chest and her tears were quickly ruining his war paint. She needed the comfort, but she couldn't bring herself to stay in his arms, so she gently pushed him away.  
  
"Mel, what happened?" Andy repeated.  
  
"Skylar sh-she sl-slit her wr-wrists a-and she d-died r-right in f-front of m-me. T-they t-took her t-to the hos-hospital, b-but sh-she's d-dead," she cried.  
  
"Wh-what?"  
  
"She's d-dead."  
  
"Hey, have you guys seen Sky- why are you guys covered in blood?" Ashley asked.  
  
Melanie broke down in tears again. She couldn't tell him. He'd be so broken.  
  
"Skylar was sent to the hospital," Andy said sadly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"She tried to commit suicide," Andy responded.  
  
"Oh my God! Where's the hospital?" Ashley asked frantically.  
  
"I'll drive. Get the guys. We're cancelling the show."  
  
Ashley ran out of the bus in search of the guys and brought them back to the bus five minutes later, along with a very pissed off Jon.  
  
"Why the hell are you cancelling the show? It's the last one, so why now?!" he yelled.  
  
"Skylar's in teh hospital. We need to see... if she's okay," Melanie answered for Andy. She couldn't bear to tell Ashley that Skylar was dead.  
  
"God... alright you guys go. I'll get everything here sorted out," he said and walked off the bus.  
  
Andy took the drivers seat and drove everyone to the hospital in complete silence.  
  
 _I should've been there for her. Why didn't I save her? I watched my best friend die, and I'm pregnant. How could everything go so wrong in one day?_ Melanie thought.  
  
They reached the hospital and they all ran to the front desk.  
  
"Do you know what room a Skylar is in? She has black and blue hair? Not hard to miss," Ashley asked the old woman at the front desk.  
  
She nodded slowly and said, "She's in room 216."  
  
They all raced to Skylar's room without giving the woman a 'thank you.' They made it to room 216 and saw a doctor in there covering someone with a sheet.  
  
Ashley barged into the room and screamed, "What the hell are you doing?!"  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but the patient is deceased," the doctor told him.  
  
"No, no, no, NO!" he yelled and ripped the sheet off the body to reveal Skylar.  
  
Ashley cried. Andy gasped. CC put his head in his hands. Jinxx sniffled. Jake leaned against the wall and slowly slid down. Melanie fell to the floor. She couldn't stand seeing her friend dead in a hospital bed, so pale, so cold.  
  
"Why?" Ashley sobbed.  
  
"It seems that she had been abused in the past and that she possibly may have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. It also appears that she hasn't eaten properly in the last three weeks, she was dying before she committed suicide," the doctor said.  
  
His words only made Ashley cry harder and Melanie feel even more guilty. She should've known Skylar had an eating dissorder. Every time Skylar ate it was a salad and she'd excuse herself to the bathroom afterwards.  
  
"Do you know what you want to do wiht her body?" the doctor asked the group.  
  
"I want her to be burried. It's what she deserves," Melanie whispered.  
  
"You'll need to sign a few forms, then we can release the body to you."  
  
"Ash, do you have any specific spot you wanted to bury Skylar at?" Melanie asked.  
  
"Somewhere near the beach. She'd like that," he mumbled.  
  
"Princess, are you okay?" Andy asked her quietly.  
  
"No. I'm not. My best friend is dead and I'm-," Melanie stopped herself before telling him. She couldn't.  
  
"Andy, I'm going to go back to the bus for a bit. I need to calm down," Melanie said.  
  
"Sure, we'll stay here with Ash."  
  
"Melanie got up off the floor and dusted herself off. She wandered back to the bus, unsure of what to do. She couldn't stay here. Not now. Not with Skylar gone, Ashley broken and her pregnant.  
  
She quickly packed up all of her stuff, leaving her toiletries in the bathroom. She couldn't go in there, Skylar's blood was still there.  
  
Melanie took a pad and pen and wrote a letter to Andy. She put the letter on his bed and gathered her suitcase and backpack. She got off the bus and looked back at it, trying to preserve this image in her head forever. After taking a moment, she turned around and headed to the nearest bus stop, not sure where she was going, but it didn't matter. In the end she always ran away from her problems.  
  
*********************************************************************************************************  
  
 **Andy's P.O.V.**  
  
Melanie hadn't come back and it had been over an hour. I couldn't help but be worried, she just went through a great loss, as did I. Skylar was becoming like a little sister to me, part of me felt dead now that she was gone. Knowing that was how I felt, I couldn't imagine what Melanie must be going through.  
  
"I'm going to see if Melanie's alright," I said to the guys before walking out the door and making my way to the bus.  
  
I got on and all of Melanie's things were gone. I searched the whole bus and I couldn't find her. I pulled back the curtains on my bunk, hoping she would be resting in there, but the only thing there was a letter. I picked it up and read every word carefully.  
  
 _Andy,  
_  
 _I love you so, so much, but I can't stay here. Skylar's gone and Ashley's heartbroken. I don't want to be here to remind him of his loss. Skylar told me to tell Ashley to give his heart to someone when the time is right, but since I'm not there, I'm leaving the message for you to give him. I want the same for you. This may not make any sense right now, and honestly, I hope it never does. It's better for both of us that you don't know. I need you to move on from me and eventually forget me. Tell Ashley that I'll miss him and his perverted jokes. Tell Jake I'll miss the pizza nights where we all got so stuffed we couldn't move. Tell CC that I'll miss his hugs that always made my days better. Tell Jinxx that he's my best friend and that I'm sorry (he was right in saying that's all I ever seem to say). I'll always love you. You really are my Batman. Goodbye._  
  
 _Love,_  
  
 _Melanie_  
  
I could feel my heart aching with every beat. Skylar's dead. Ashley's broken. Melanie's gone. How had everything gone so wrong? I didn't believe in God, but if I did, I'd be cursing at him for fucking up my life.  
  
What am I going to do? Should I forget her? No, I couldn't, that would be impossible. All I can do is hope I'll find her again. Someday.  
  
 **THE END**


	22. Authors Note

I'm going to be posting what I have of the sequel. If you want to read it, it will be called 'We'll Brave This Storm (Sequel to You're Not Alone). I love you duckies :)


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